Standing Still
by Lenari
Summary: Sometimes the simplest of mistakes can turn your world around. Add two transfer students, misplaced magic, hidden obsessions, and madness ensues. AU sixth year
1. Prologue: Arrivals

Disclaimer: No characters you recognize are owned by me. They're J.K. Rowling's. All new students appearing here belong to me, especially the two best friends, Liana and Railane. Some elements, like certain potions, have appeared in lots of fics so they don't belong to anyone, but the original idea for this did come to me as I read Irresistible Poison by Rhysenn. Somewhere along the way some psycho plot bunnies attacked me, and now it's a mix of elements. But a ton of props to Rhysenn for the best Harry Potter fanfiction I have ever read.

Rating: Will vary, but most of the time it's PG-13. Any R-rated chapters will have a warning.

Warning: There will be slash here. Not yet but eventually there will be. I mean angst-filled sexual-innuendo sort of slash, no smut. Maybe some makeouts. But no smut. Still, if you're a slash hater, do me a favor: back out quietly, don't flame and we'll all be happy. You have been warned.

Summary: Sometimes the simplest of mistakes can turn your world around. Add two transfer students, misplaced magic, hidden obsessions, and slashiness ensues.

Set in an AU sixth year, everything from book one thru five happened except for the fact that book five has been slightly altered to fit my purposes: Sirius is still alive, since he used a shield charm and Bellatrix was the one who got the hit. Also, Lucius Malfoy isn't in Azkaban.

A/N: This is what happens when Marille Earen, Honour Nature and I spend too much time reading and discussing Harry fics. So this story is dedicated to them and to feraenaturae, the first person to encourage me to write slash.

**_Bold italics_** are Railane's intros, _italics_ are thoughts, and anything in **bold** is a diary entry.

Standing still

by Lenari Ryan

Prologue: Arrivals

**_This started out as something no one could've predicted. Liana and I both received our Hogwarts letters when we were eleven, but our parents didn't want us to go live abroad on our own. After years of insistence, they agreed to make us transfer students, and against Severus Snape's best wishes_****_, and a lot of traditions, we were sorted. _**

Harry Potter walked towards the Hogwarts Express with a weary expression after saying goodbye to Remus, Mad-Eye, Tonks, Mrs. Weasley, Fred and George. Mr. Weasley wasn't there since he and Percy were having lunch in an attempt to patch things up between them.

Since Ron and Hermione were going to the prefect compartment, Harry had to find a compartment for Ginny and himself,whereas Neville was staying with Dean and Seamus. They passed a pair of dark-haired girls who were looking around nervously, and Ginny immediately walked towards them, much to Harry's displeasure.

"Hi, I'm Ginny Weasley," she said brightly.

The two girls exchanged looks and the shorter, curvier one replied in a clearly American accent. "I'm Railane Lesperance and this is Liana Richards."

Ginny pulled Harry's sleeve to get him to turn to them. "This is Harry, who seems to have forgotten his manners." The two girls giggled, but Harry was more focused on how much Ginny had resembled Mrs. Weasley with that comment. "So, have you girls met anyone else yet?"

Railane shook her head, dark brown hair falling a bit in her face. "Well, no, not really. A few people have waved, but that's about it."

"Well, come and sit with us," Ginny suggested excitedly, and both Railane and Liana sighed in relief at the same time.

"Thank God," Liana muttered. "I was starting to believe we'd have to hex someone into asking or something."

They all laughed, and the girls followed Harry and Ginny onto the train. As soon as they had a compartment, Liana studied Harry. "I hadn't noticed before," she commented quietly, her dark brown eyes flicking to his scar before returning to his eyes. "Harry Potter."

Railane looked up from her book momentarily to look at his scar, light brown eyes seeming inexplicably golden all of a sudden, then smiled slightly and returned to her reading. Ginny, however, was looking at Railane's Potions book in horror. "Why would you possibly be reading school books already?" she asked her with wide eyes.

"We had to catch up with a lot of spells to be able to enter the N.E.W.T. classes we wanted," Liana replied with a shrug, eyeing her Divination book with distaste before settling on a Charms book instead. "We're being tested by Professors McGonnagal, Flitwick and Snape before we're sorted to make sure we were properly trained at the other schools."

"Meaning we get to skip the whole across-the-lake-and-past-the-giant-squid thing," Railane replied with a grin.

"Have you been here before?" Harry asked her, and Railane shook her head.

"No. But I've read Hogwarts: A History thousands of times."

Ginny shook her head. "Oh, dear, we have another Hermione."

"Hermione?" Liana asked curiously, her Charms book forgotten on her lap.

"She's this girl in my year," Harry replied. "Total genius. She should've been in Ravenclaw, but she chose Gryffindor instead."

"Mom wants me to end up in Ravenclaw, but Dad wants me to go to Gryffindor," Railane said. "I'd like Slytherin, though."

"Most dark wizards were Slytherins," Harry told her matter-of-factly, being painfully reminded of the fact that those wizards had Sirius confined in Grimmauld Place.

"Oh, I know," Railane replied dismissively. "But I know I could make a difference in them, I'm sure not all of them are that bad. I mean, Blaise is actually nice when he's not in school."

"Seriously?" Ginny asked her in disbelief, and Liana was the one who answered.

"Yeah, his parents know our parents so this last summer he stayed over with us in America to help us prepare for this year."

The food trolley finally reached their compartment and they all hastened to buy Pumpkin Pasties, Fizzing Whizbees, and Chocolate Frogs. After stocking themselves, the four sat back. Before they could begin eating, the compartment doors opened again, and Railane's hand was around her wand before the others could even blink.

Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson looked at them, identical sneers in their faces. Blaise stepped up from the back, and as soon as Railane saw him she relaxed slightly. "Hey, Blaise," she greeted coolly.

"Hey, Lane. Liana." His eyes rested on the other two. "Potter, Weasley."

"That's Harry and Ginny, actually," Liana replied icily.

"Let's not," he pleaded with them, and Liana was shocked to see that Railane actually acquiesced.

Malfoy walked into the compartment, ignoring Harry, since last year's train ride home was still fresh on his mind, and he smirked at the girls. "I'm Draco," he drawled, extending his hand. "Draco Malfoy."

Liana didn't take his hand. "Liana Richards."

Railane put down her book, rising and looking straight into his cool gray eyes. "We know who you are," she replied evenly. "I'm Railane Lesperance," she told him shaking his hand with a firm grip.

Draco was impressed at the way she handled herself, and tilted his head appraisingly at her. She smiled, withdrawing her hand and sitting again, her eyes never leaving his. He smirked again and turned, breaking the eye contact. "These are Crabbe and Goyle, and she's Pansy."

Railane nodded in acknowledgement before picking up her Potions book again. "If you'll excuse me, I have an exam to prepare for. I suggest you return to your compartment, and perhaps we'll see each other around later." Her eyes returned to her book, her attitude obviously dismissing, and for the first time Draco swallowed his pride, accepted his dismissal and turned away, closing the compartment behind him.

"That was brilliant," Ginny said. "And thanks for trying to defend us."

"The look on his face when you dismissed him was priceless," Harry added.

Railane merely shrugged. "He's one of my Slytherin reform projects," she said with a mischievous smile, winking.

Liana rolled her eyes. "Here we go with the projects again. That means trouble."

* * *

After meeting up with Ron and Hermione in the carriages and introducing themselves, Liana and Railane fiddled with their bags nervously, unsure of what awaited them when their test began. As soon as they arrived at the castle, Professor McGonnagal walked over to Liana and Railane. "Miss Lesperance, Miss Richards, follow me please. You too, Mister Potter, the Headmaster wishes to see you." 

Harry walked with them, confusion in his features, and Liana smirked. "I can't believe you're in trouble already. That must be a record."

Harry felt his tension ease a bit and he smiled at her. "This happens almost every year, actually," he replied.

Liana smiled. "Oh, really? I'm impressed."

Railane rolled her eyes at the pair, almost colliding into the Headmaster as she did. She blushed a deep scarlet to rival Ginny's, averting her gaze. "Sorry, Professor Dumbledore."

"Oh, that's quite alright, Miss Lesperance. You and Miss Richards will go with Professor McGonnagal and hand her your written exams, and will also have the practical part. Harry, if you'll follow me to my office."

The girls said goodbye to Harry, walking resolutely towards the classroom they were pointed to while Harry trailed after Professor Dumbledore. After giving his password (Fizzing Whizbee), Professor Dumbledore walked into his office. Harry was happy to see that Fawkes was alright, and he took a seat across Professor Dumbledore uncertainly.

"First of all, welcome back to Hogwarts, Harry. I was very happy to see you O.W.L. results, and so was Professor McGonnagal, who asked me to congratulate you for her and to remind you that you must excel in you N.E.W.T.s to be able to be an Auror. Now that that's been taking care of, I must talk to you about what this year will bring.

Lord Voldemort is not happy with your interventions, as you well know, and I fear what actions he may take this year, which is one of the reasons I've accepted Miss Lesperance and Miss Richards to be allowed in Hogwarts this year. They have been raised with defiance towards the Dark Lord, since their parents were Aurors. I know I can count on them to try and reunite the four Houses. We need to stand strong. Also, the teachers and I have deemed it a good idea for you to have your own, protected room in the castle. There is one double room besides the ones for Head Boy and Head Girl, and one of them has been assigned to you. The other one to Draco Malfoy."

Harry's eyes widened in utter shock. "Why do I have to share a double room with Malfoy?"

"Voldemort is very angry at Lucius. He already tried to get to Draco over the summer, and we are worried that if he decides to strike he will strike against both of you at the same time. I suggest you keep the location of your new room private, as will Mr. Malfoy. There is a wall dividing the two rooms, of course, but there is only one main entrance, the one that connects directly to Draco's room, from which you will look for the other door and go into your room."

Harry sighed, resigned, and Professor Dumbledore frowned. "I hope you and Draco learn to get along, for both your sakes. In case of an attack, you'll have to protect each other. Also, you have had all summer to think things through, and I would like to know if you have any questions regarding the prophecy."

"I do, actually," Harry replied, thankful for the chance. "How am I going to train for this war and keep up with school?"

"Your training will be minimal this year, mostly in protection. You will also be allowed to choose some students to train with you. The real training will be next year. Voldemort will not risk a war now that everyone's on alert. He'll try to let news of him fade, and then strike when we least expect." Harry nodded. It made sense. Before he could say anything Dumbledore spoke again. "For now, let's just enjoy the Sorting."

Harry nodded, rising, and they walked towards the Great Hall. Upon entering, they walked quietly, since the Sorting had already begun, and Harry took his seat. "What did he want to talk to you about?" Hermione asked him anxiously.

"JAMES, GREGORY!"

"I'm getting my own room along with Malfoy," Harry replied.

Ron sputtered. "What? How?"

Harry shrugged. "Apparently Voldemort –oh, Ron, get off it- tried to attack Draco over the summer."

"Because his father messed up," Hermione finished. "I thought he might. Did he say anything about training? I don't want it to interfere with homework, but we managed last year."

"Hermione!" Ron screeched at the same time that the Sorting Hat sent Lillianna Jones to Ravenclaw. "How can you think about that right now? Classes haven't even started!"

"Ron, shut up," Harry and Hermione replied in unison, while Hermione swatted his arm. "There are more important things than homework," she replied decidedly and Harry smiled proudly, continuing.

"He said that we'll train in defensive again. He reckons Voldemort won't risk war now, so we won't have extra strength training now. Next semester at the earliest."

Hermione smiled. "Ron! You didn't flinch at the name!" His ears turned pink and Hermione nodded at Harry with a slight nod. "And with the training, good. I just hope everything goes well this year."

Harry nodded fervently, turning his attention to the Sorting. "Too bad I missed the song again."

"It was great," Ginny commented. "About how dark events will help us come together and will light our way with loyalty and courage."

"LESPERANCE, RAILANE!"

Railane sat on the stool confidently, eyes sacanning the room. After debating with her for a few instants, the Hat shouted "SLYTHERIN!" making Railane smile widely. She waved at Harry and the others at the Gryffindor table before making her way to the Slytherin table with a smirk at Blaise.

Harry turned to the others, shaking his head. "She's a nice girl, but they'll corrupt her."

"Nah," Ginny replied. "She already charmed Draco. I wonder what her presence will do to the rest of the Slytherins."

At Hermione and Ron's questioning looks, Harry and Ginny filled them in on everything that had happened since they'd met Liana and Railane. Hermione seemed very pleased that the girls had been studying, while Ron was extremely excited about Railane showing Draco off. Before Hermione could begin her lecture on the importance of studies, however, the Sorting Hat called Liana.

"RICHARDS, LIANA!"

Liana walked towards the Sorting Hat looking far more nervous that Railane had, but when she sat she took a deep breath and straightened herself. Seconds after coming in contact with her the Sorting Hat shouted "GRYFFINDOR!" making Liana grin in relief. Giving Railane a thumbs-up, she sat next to Ginny in the Gryffindor table.

"I am so glad that is over," Liana said, rolling her eyes, and the others laughed. The Sorting Hat sorted the last student (Thames, Kyle) and Professor Dumbledore stood quieting everybody immediately. "I wish to welcome all students, new and old, to this new school year. As you all know, Lord Voldemort," a collective shudder rippled through the student body, "is back. But I do not wish to burden you with sad thoughts, since we are doing all in our power to destoy him once and for all and you are safe here at Hogwarts. Instead, I wish to welcome two transfer students, Miss Richards from Gryffindor and Miss Lesperance from Slytherin.

Also, I wish to inform you that we have two new teachers this year. First of all, Madam Hooch has retired, and Oliver Wood has agreed to substitute her due to the fact that his injured shoulder will not let him play professionally again. Also, Nymphadora Tonks will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year. Her expertise is very vast, since she is an Auror, and she is very excited to be teaching here. You will all meet her tomorrow, since she will arrive with Mr. Percy Weasley, who is my new assistant. For now, dig in."

Everyone turned to their plates, and Harry grinned. "I'm really glad Oliver's back. He'll train us some good Quidditch players. Plus we'll have a blast with Tonks and learn a lot."

"Agreed," Ron said between mouthfuls.

Hermione grinned. "I think Tonks' is here more to keep an eye on us than anything else." The others laughed and she continued. "Who's captain now that Angelina's left?" she asked curiously.

"I am," Harry replied happily. "Professor Dumbledore got Fudge to lift off Umbridge's ridiculous ban and Angelina picked me."

"That's great, Harry," Hermione said with a smile, knowing full well that Quidditch was Harry's favorite thing in the world.

"Brilliant, mate," Ron replied after swallowing. "When are we having tryouts?"

"I'll decide that after I see our schedule," Harry replied. "For now, I'm just glad to be back."

They all agreed, and enjoyed their Feast, wondering what the year may bring.

A/N: This is way too long for an epilogue in my opinion, but since this story's basically writing itself I won't complain. Please drop me a little review on your way out, will you? It'll help me write faster. ;)


	2. Unexpected moments

A/N: I'm very happy with the support my friends have showed me by reading and reviewing the epilogue, and I'd like to hear from other HP fans, too, so I can know what you think.

**_Bold italics_** are Railane's intros, _italics_ are thoughts, and anything in **bold** is a diary entry.

Chapter one: Unexpected moments

_**First day of class. That was an uneventful day, for the most part, since we didn't get to take a class with Tonks yet, and I didn't get to see Oliver. But towards the end of the day, I was confronted with my very first revelation at Hogwarts: there's a reason for everyone's actions, and sometimes the reason goes far deeper than we can fathom.**_

Railane walked down the hall in a hurry, stepping into the Great Hall confidently. Walking towards the Gryffindor table, she sat next to Liana after throwing a look over her shoulder.

Liana snickered. "Paranoid already? It's only the first day!"

Railane glared. "It's not that. It's just that I haven't made the proper impression with the Slytherins yet and even though I'll try to promote house unity being seen at the Gryffindor really isn't going to help my first impression." She smirked. "No offense, guys."

"So what are you doing here then, Railane?" Hermione asked her coldly, and Railane bit back her comment of surprise, opting for shrugging it off instead.

"I needed to talk to my best friend. I think I'm still allowed to do that, aren't I?" she replied with a sneer to rival Malfoy's, something Harry didn't fail to notice. Railane noticed his expression and her sneer faded. "Everything alright, Harry?"

"You reminded us of Malfoy just now. You've only been in Slytherin overnight and you're already turning into one of them," Hermione replied.

"He has a name," Railane snapped, glaring at Hermione. "It's Draco. You know, dragon in Latin? Use it."

Liana looked between Railane and Hermione and swallowed hard. "Take it easy, you two. We're supposed to be uniting the houses, not creating a bigger rift."

Railane sighed. "You're right. We have Potions together later, we'll talk then. I have to go talk to Blaise."

Liana watched her walk away and turned to Hermione with wide eyes. "What was that all about?"

"Her attitude," Hermione replied simply. "She is not better than us."

"She doesn't think she is," Liana replied heatedly. "The real reason she kept looking over her shoulder is that she wants to talk to Draco."

Hermione smiled knowingly as it dawned on her. "Ah, she fancies him. That explains everything. I'll have to apologize later."

Ron looked horrified while Liana was surprised at how fast Hermione had figured it out. "She fancies Malfoy?"

"Draco," both Harry and Liana corrected. Harry was shocked at his reaction but Liana continued talking. "Ron, the entire female Slytherin population, as well as a couple of girls from other houses, fancy Draco. Hell, I think almost all the gay guys do, too."

Ron shuddered, and Hermione threw him a dirty look. "Learn tolerance, Ron. Seriously."

Liana was surprised. She'd thought that Ron and Hermione were in a relationship, and as soon as they continued arguing, she motioned for Harry to lean over the table so she could ask him about. Harry simply shot them a look before turning to her again. "I used to think they'd date, too, but they have issues. Ron didn't really see Hermione as a girl until fourth year, and they just argue too much."

"Been there," Liana replied, shooting the quarreling duo a glance. "Who knows? Maybe they'll stop arguing long enough to realize the attraction."

"Or maybe Hermione will finally say yes to Ernie MacMillan," Harry replied off-handedly, his eyes twinkling.

Liana simply looked at him and Harry pointed to the Hufflepuff table, showing Ernie to her. She smiled. "He looks responsible, studious, and decent. Right up her alley."

They both snickered quietly, mainly due to the fact that Ron and Hermione weren't arguing anymore. Which was just as well, because Dumbledore asked for their silence mere instants later. "Students, I hope you all had a good night's sleep and are ready to get to your lessons today. I want you to meet your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Tonks."

Tonks walked in with curly, shoulder length red hair, surprising Harry, Ron and Hermione, who were expecting her to show up with one of her spiky hairdos. She smiled at them and waved before taking her seat at the table, and Hermione turned to the others. "Well, at least she looks like a teacher now."

"I liked the pink hair better," Ron stated, gulping down his last bit of pumpkin juice. "Speaking of teachers, Railane said that we had Potions today... I didn't look at my schedule when we got them."

"Me neither," Harry said. "Weird. Usually it's the first thing we do."

"Railane did arrive right after they handed them out," Liana commented, "so maybe that's why you didn't check them."

The others nodded and pulled them out, while Hermione watched them smugly. "As usual, Hermione's one step ahead," Ron commented; thankfully Hermione didn't pick up on the tone he used.

As soon as he saw his schedule, Harry groaned. "There is no way we have double Potions twice a week!"

"And double Transfiguration, too," Ron added.

"Since there are less classes to take now, we take almost each class double," Hermione explained helpfully, but Harry simply slumped deeper into his chair.

Liana watched them with amusement. "That bad, huh?"

"It gets worse," Ron said in a small voice. Everyone looked at him and he gulped before speaking again. "Every Potions class is with the Slytherins."

Liana grinned. "It's not so bad, you know. We get to spend more time with Lane, and I'm sure she'll try to keep her people under control."

Harry and Ron looked at the Slytherin table. "We definitely hope so," Ron said quietly, and Harry nodded vehemently.

* * *

Breakfast wasn't going as planned at the Slytherin table. Draco was ignoring everyone, Blaise was trying to get Railane in a conversation and Railane was struck with an urge to strangle Pansy. Draco noticed Railane's desperate attempts to calm down and turned to her. "What is it, Lesperance?" 

She was startled by his apparent concern, but recovered quickly. "Pansy's getting on my nerves," she replied candidly, giving said girl a withering glare.

"She gets on everyone's nerves," he replied with a shrug.

"Yes, well, I'm getting a bit murderous," Railane muttered, and Draco actually smiled.

"I don't blame you... we have fifteen minutes before our first class... want to take a stroll? We haven't had a chance to talk yet."

Railane was so shocked she was speechless for a few instants before recovering. "I appreciate that, Draco."

They rose and slipped out quietly, walking down the hall. "Something besides Pansy was bothering you," Draco told her quietly, and she nodded.

"I was wondering if I'd made the right choice choosing Slytherin. Or rather, helping the Sorting Hat choose Slytherin. I mean, Blaise was trying so hard to get me into the conversations and such, but I don't seem to fit here."

His smile was smug because he'd interpreted her stance correctly, but his tone was rather sincere. "You're rushing. It's just the first day," he reminded her, and she nodded.

"I guess you're right. You know, you're not as bad as they say."

He looked at her, susrprise. "Oh, really? What do they say?"

She shrugged. "That you're a selfish, arrogant git, basically." He scoffed, and she simply smirked. "You are, most of the time, but it's good to see that there's another side to you." He looked a bit alarmed, but she only smiled. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. It's not like they'd believe me anyway."

The bell rang and they both turned towards the Charms corridor. "You know, Railane, you're not half bad, yourself," Draco commented, making her smile.

"Took you long enough," she replied.

* * *

After a long day of class and a quick lunch in Railane and Hermione's case, the Slytherins and Gryffindors filed into the dungeons for their double Potions. Most people sat down immediately but Liana and Railane didn't know where to sit. Ron was sitting with Hermione so Liana got to sit with Harry, and Blaise saved Railane a sit, which meant Draco was stuck with Pansy. 

"Sorry about this morning, Lane," Blaise told her immediately, but she simply shook her head.

"It's ok, Blaise, I know you tried."

He smiled mischievously. "So, where did you and Draco go?"

She looked at him with an amused expression. "We walked down the hall. Nothing special. Why?"

"I just think you two would be cute together."

Railane scoffed loudly. "Please. He can have anyone he wants. Why would he pick me? Not like I'm interested anyway."

He grinned knowingly. "Because you're not fawning over him. You tend to challenge him, and no matter how nervous you are you don't let it show."

"Oh, that's over," she replied bitterly. "I had a little heart-to-heart this morning with him. He must think I'm an idiot now."

"Nah," Blaise replied. "He was asking me about you during lunch."

"Stop getting ideas, Zabini," she warned in a low voice.

Before he could counter, Snape walked in the door. "Good afternoon, students," he began. "I'm surprised to see so many people in this class. Be warned that anyone who doesn't excel this year will be asked to drop the class. Speaking of which, congratulations to Miss Lesperance for her excellent potion-making in her entrance exam, and to Miss Richards as well, who did a fine effort.

I will be dividing you into pairs alphabetically, and during the school year you will be changing partners until I find a combination that keeps everyone from melting cauldrons."

A few students chuckled nervously. He divided them and Railane was glad to see that she was paired with Draco. _Good thing I'm the last L on this class, _she thought with a smile. As soon as she took her seat, Snape spoke again. "I expect nothing but the best, remember that. We will begin brewing a very difficult potion, that will require a long time to simmer, so I suggest you open your textbooks to page 134 and get to brewing."

Draco insisted on chopping and grounding the ingredients, leaving Railane to add and stir. The only person to have the potion correctly prepared faster was Hermione, and Snape congratulated them on their work every time he passed their cauldron. Soon their potion turned a deep purple, and Railane contemplated it smiling.

"Why are you looking at it so much?" Draco asked her.

"Purple's one of my favorite colors, and this is a really pretty shade." Her expression immediately turned to an embarrassed one. "I can't believe I just said that about a potion."

He chuckled. "I agree. If I didn't know better, I'd say you channeled Parkinson just now."

They both shuddered, and Railane threw a look in Liana's direction, who seemed very happy with the fact that she ended up sitting next to Harry when Jason Raye cut himself deeply with a porcupine quill. They weren't talking much, as they were both concentrating very hard on not messing the potion up. When they were finally done, Liana turned to her, and they both smiled in unison, picking up on the other's emotion at the moment.

"That's a bit unnerving," Draco told her as soon as she turned back to the cauldron.

"What is?"

He tilted his head in Liana's direction. "That you and that Gryffindor girl seem to know what the other one's thinking all the time."

Railane fixed her dark eyes on his gray ones. "For your information, her name's Liana, and we know each other so well we can guess how the other one thinks." She sighed."You need to stop being so mean to other people, Draco. One of these days they may end up being in a position to save your life."

"I can save my own life, thanks," he retorted coldly, and she winced.

"I didn't mean to insult your pride. I just want to help. I know there's something wrong, and I want to let you know that if there's anything I can do all you have to do is ask."

"That's a very Gryffindor sentiment," he commented quietly, not sounding half as insulting as he'd intended it, and she smiled.

"The Sorting Hat did consider it, just like it considered it with Harry. You should give him a chance, he seems like a nice enough guy."

"He hasn't been nice to me," he replied in a low voice, and Railane rolled her eyes.

"You're no piece of cake either, you know."

He swallowed hard before looking at her, and she was shocked at how much sincerity shone in his eyes. "I offered him my friendship, Railane, but he rejected me. I may have gone about it in a way less than adequate, but he didn't even give me a chance."

As if on cue, the bell rang, and Draco exited the classroom immediately, furious with himself for speaking too much, while she remained glued to her seat, processing the newfound knowledge. Things weren't always what they seemed, and it was then she knew that there was something else that was bothering him. And she was determined to find out.

A/N: So this is it. I know Draco's a bit OOC, but there's a reason why. I just can't tell you yet. Please review if you have any suggestions, since I'm not too sure about what I'm going to have in this story before I take it to where it has to go. Any flames will be handed to my three psycho little plot bunnies, who keep attacking me on Marille's orders.


	3. An unlikely truce

A/N: Sorry I didn't post this before, but the site and I have been having some, uh, minor disagreements. I have come to believe the site hates me, since it wouldn't let me post. I've had this chapter written and waiting for almost two weeks and only recently was I allowed to upload and post. Hopefully the next chapter will be here on time in its usual schedule, if the site lets me.

Thanks to Kimmy C. and Marille Earen for the spell idea, and to Marille Earen for the hyper review. Also to Xharryxlovesxdracox for the nice review and plea for more, and to my Aunt Myrka for the sweet review and all her encouragement. This is for you, too. Love you, Tante!

**_Bold italics_** are Railane's intros, _italics_ are thoughts, and anything in **bold** is a diary entry.

Chapter two: An unlikely truce

_**After I pondered Draco's revelation for a while, I knew that my mother's suspicions were true. She'd told me that something terrible had been shaking up the Malfoy household, and that Narcissa herself was trying to get them out of whatever it was. At first I just thought it was more gossip, but Draco's strange withdrawal proved her theory. Blaise admitted that Draco wasn't acting like himself, and I promised myself that I would find out what was wrong and I'd help. Little did I know that fate would present the opportunity to me very soon.**_

Blaise and Railane walked together comfortably to their first class. Draco had been absent from breakfast, and without her banter with him, Railane had found the table terribly boring and had left as soon as she'd finished her breakfast. Liana hadn't noticed because she'd been talking to Harry, but Blaise had gone after her. They'd talked for a while, but Railane refrained from letting him know about her suspicions.

As soon as they entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Railane was relieved to find Draco there. Leaving Blaise behind, she sat next to Draco. "Are you okay? We missed you at breakfast."

"I'm fine, Lesperance," he replied in a strained tone.

She shot him a dirty look before rising. "I see we're back to using our last names now. Very well, Malfoy. And excuse me for caring."

He groaned. "Railane, wait."

She froze mid-step and turned to him. "What?"

"I just don't like people poking into my business. It's not personal. That's just how I am."

Railane allowed herself to smile slightly. "That's as close as I'm ever getting to an apology, isn't it?"

He smiled weakly. "Pretty much, yeah."

She sighed and sat next to him again. "For now, that's enough. But someday it won't be."

His silence was her only answer, and she knew enough not to push him. He was beginning to trust her, and she was beginning to understand him, and she knew that pushing him too far would destroy all she'd managed to achieve.

Minutes later Tonks entered. "Good morning class. I'm sorry you didn't get the news, but we'll be conducting our class in the Room of Requirement, since all four houses will be taking the class together." The class begin murmuring, and Draco looked livid. Railane shot him a look before turning to Tonks and raising her hand. "Yes, Miss?"

"Lesperance," she supplied. "I wanted to know why we're all taking the class together if it wasn't done like this on previous years."

"Professor Dumbledore believes that we will be stronger together and wants to instill that into the entire school, so no classes will be conducted for only one house."

Every Slytherin except Railane groaned loudly at this. Tonks simply smiled at them and motioned for them to leave the classroom and follow her towards the Room of Requirement. After they paced the required three times, the door opened, and the Slytherins walked in to find the Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor sixth years already waiting.

"All right, class," Tonks began. "I'm going to sort you into pairs, but you will not be paired with anyone from your same house." While the students muttered and groaned, she took out four rolls of parchment, each one with a list of student names, and then placed a blank roll next to it. Tapping each of the parchments in turn with her wand, she muttered a few words and picked up the blank scroll. Gold lettering appeared and Tonks smiled. She paired everyone off following the list on the scroll, and when she was done she tucked all five rolls in her bag.

"Okay. Now one of the things that Professor Dumbledore has insisted on is teaching every student from fifth year and up how to produce a Patronus. Now, I understand some of you can already make them, and I'm glad, because then they can help me help the rest. Patronuses are very powerful magic, and it'll take a while before you can all produce one, but if you keep trying I'm sure you'll manage. Everyone who can already produce a corporeal Patronus please step forward."

Everyone who had been in the DA the previous year stepped forward. Tonks pointed to some of them and asked the others to step back. "Okay, so I already know who Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger are. Who are the others?"

"I'm Ernie MacMillan," Ernie said proudly, "and these are Hannah Abbott and Zacharias Smith."

"Now, I have a boggart in that trunk, and I will release it. Each of you in turn will think about facing a dementor, and the boggart will become it. Why do I ask you to think about a dementor? Because if you fear something else it'll become that instead of the dementor and then it's bye bye Patronus."

Some students chuckled, and the seven students she'd picked got in line. She opened the trunk and the boggart came out, immediately becoming a dementor. Ernie had placed himself first, and his Patronus appeared after his second attempt, a silvery wolf that shimmered. Next came Hermione, and her silver otter appeared on her first try, earning her a round of applause. Hannah's raven Patronus took three tries to appear.

Zacharias had on his smug look, as usual, and Harry was glad that he took five tries before he actually produced his wolfhound Patronus. Ron was up next, and his Patronus took the shape of a panther on his second try. Last up was Harry, and his silver stag walked out of a sheer mist right on the first attempt. Harry smiled at it fondly, reminded of his father, and Tonks beamed.

"All right, now I put you in pairs so if one of you fails on the Patronus the other one tries until both of you have produced a fully corporeal one, or if the boggart turns into something else it's your partner's responsibility to use Riddikulus and help. Mr. Finnigan and Miss Lesperance, you're up first. Remember to enunciate 'Expecto Patronum' well and to concentrate on a happy memory to give the spell strength."

Seamus let Railane go first, and a tiger Patronus appeared as soon as she finished the spell. She smiled with satisfaction before turning to Seamus. He stepped forward, and on his third try a hare appeared. They walked off and watched while others tried and mostly failed, and soon it was Liana and Draco's turn.

Draco motioned for Liana to go first, and she took a deep breath and tried. Her first attempts were only silver smoke, but on herfourth attempt a lion appeared. "A total Gryffindor," Tonks commented, and Liana grinned. Draco walked forward, but the boggart immediately became his father. Liana tried to stand next to the boggart so it would take a shape for her, but Railane had beat her to it. The boggart took the last-known shape of Lord Voldemort, and people gasped. Railane took a deep breath and yelled "Riddikulus!", effectively turning Lord Voldemort into a clown. Draco tried again, and this time a dementor appeared. His leopard appeared on histhird try, and he sighed in relief. A bell rang outside and Tonks dismissed them.

Draco was the first student out the door, and Railane was right behind him. Before he could snap at her, she spoke. "Just ignore them. The comments will die soon enough."

During the rest of the morning Railane and Blaise were Draco's bodyguards; Crabbe and Goyle trailing behind. When they got to lunch, Draco refused to go in. "You have to eat, Draco," Blaise admonished, but Railane shook her head.

"Go to the common room. I'll bring you some food."

Draco nodded heavily and turned, and Railane sighed. "You worried about him?" Blaise asked her, and she nodded.

"Yeah. I just wish I knew why the boggart took Lucius' shape."

Blaise shrugged. "At this rate, he'll end up telling you eventually." Railane smiled feebly and walked into the Great Hall.

* * *

Fifteen minutes after sending Draco to the common room, Railane finally arrived. She walked in and sat next to him, handing him a plate. "Blaise and I didn't know what you liked, so I brought you a bit of everything," she explained. He ate silently and she walked around the common room thoughtfully. 

When Draco finished, he walked towards her quietly. They stayed there in companionable silence until Blaise walked in. "Come on guys, we'll be late for Transfiguration and McGonnagal's gonna grill us."

They followed Blaise to the classroom and sat down together. A tabby cat was watching from a corner, and turned into Professor McGonnagal as soon as the last students had filed in. "Good afternoon, students, and welcome to N.E.W.T. level Transfiguration. We will be doing very powerful magic this year, and I expect you all to focus and do well. We will begin by turning these birds," she motioned to a line of cages next to her desk, "into ferrets."

Draco groaned at the mention of ferrets, and Railane looked at him curiously. "I got turned into a ferret during our fourth year," he told her quietly, looking mortified, and she giggled.

"Look at it on the bright side, Draco. At least ferrets are cute."

He rolled his eyes at her and noticed Professor McGonnagal standing right behind her. "I take it she's up first," he commented, and Railane's eyes widened as she turned to the Professor.

"Indeed she is. You will use the same motion used for Wingardium Leviosa, and the incantation is 'Arev Exercens'. Enunciate clearly or you might turn it into something dangerous." She handed Railane one of the birds, and she grinned at it.

"Bye, bye, birdie," she said quietly before performing the spell perfectly. She turned to Draco, holding the ferret in her hand, grinning widely. He rolled his eyes, hiding a smile, and she petted the ferret. "Think I could keep it, Professor?"

"I'd like to let you, since you did such a great job, but only cats, toads and owls are allowed. I'm afraid you'll have to return it. I'll give ten points to Slytherin for your troubles, though."

Railane sighed dejectedly, pouting before returning the ferret to Professor McGonnagal and returning to her seat. Draco offered to go next, and managed to turn his bird into a ferret after his third attempt. All of Ravenclaw turned the birds into ferrets, and the only people in Slytherin who didn't were Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bullstrode. Blaise had managed on his fourth try, and he was feeling very proud of himself.

"Very well, class, I am pleased with your performance today. However, I must warn you that this was a very simple thing, and that all of the other transformations will be far more complex. Those of you who didn't manage must hand in fourteen inches of parchment about how to perform the spell correctly and why you did not do it properly, and therefore must be ready for a fresh attempt during the next class. You are dismissed."

They filed out and Draco sighed. "I'm just glad today is pretty much over already."

"Agreed," Blaise groaned next to him. "I'm so glad that I can have a bit of time to relax before we go and have dinner."

Railane nodded absently but Blaise didn't notice and continued to walk towards the common room. Railane turned from him and walked outside, breathing in all the fresh air she could. She walked around the castle grounds, settling on sitting under the shade of a big oak near the lake. Holding her bag between her arms, she looked at the horizon thoughtfully. She was so into her thoughts that she didn't feel Liana approach, and when she sat next to her Railane jumped, startled.

Liana giggled. "You are paranoid."

Railane didn't smile. "I might be, but I have my reasons."

"I was kidding, Lane. What's wrong?"

She shrugged. "I was just thinking about stuff that's happened."

Liana smiled. "On a bright side, we're having a Hogsmeade weekend in two weeks, and Harry asked me to invite you to spend the day with us. Oh, and all Quidditch teams will have try-outs next week."

"You think Draco could come along with us around Hogsmeade?"

Liana sighed. "I can get Harry and Hermione to go for it, but Ron will take some convincing. And I doubt Draco will be up for it, considering how much he hates them."

"He doesn't hate them," Railane replied quietly. "He only disses Hermione because he was raised to hate Muggle-borns, but deep down he respects her. He rags on Ron because he's just such an easy target, and because it's in his nature, being a snobby wanker and all." Liana giggled and Railane continued. "I think that Harry's another story though. A combination of reasons. Pressure from his father, envy and a hurt pride."

"The first one I get. What about the other two? I mean, why would Draco have to envy Harry? And hurt pride? Please. Draco doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks."

Railane stared off at the sky reflected on the water of the lake as she spoke. "He envies Harry deep down because Harry is something he wishes he could be: courageous, sure of his path. And his pride is hurt because he admired Harry and asked him to be his friend, but Harry rejected him without giving him a chance."

Liana shot her a look. "I find that hard to believe, Lane."

"Ask Harry, then," Railane challenged. "Prove me wrong."

"Don't worry," Liana replied, rising. "I will. You fancying him is one thing, Lane, but I can't believe you'd make Harry look bad to justify Draco."

"That's not what I'm doing, Liana. He told me himself. And let's not fight over guys, please. We already went through this with R.R. and Frankie and we managed. Let's not screw up now."

Liana sighed. "I know. Sorry. We'll talk later, okay? I have to get back."

Railane nodded. She kept looking at the water, her hair flying in the breeze. The water was already reflecting the orange and pink hues of sunset, and she felt a calm and peace she hadn't felt in a while. Running her hand through her hair, she rose as the last rays of the sun disappeared and gave way to night.

She entered the Great Hall minutes after everyone else had, and sat down by herself on a corner of the table. Blaise respected her decision to have some privacy, but he hated seeing her alone so he moved to a seat near her and remained quiet. Railane thanked him with a gaze and a slight smile before returning to her dinner, and as soon as she was finished, she walked out. Draco walked out after her.

He fell into step beside her without a word, and Railane smiled to herself. They seemed to agree on the fact that no talking was necessary, and that his mere presence was enough to let her know he cared. They walked towards the common room, and Draco pulled her arm before she went up to the girls' dormitories. "I'm moving to my private room tonight," he told her. "It's on the third floor behind the painting of the redhead and the bird. The password's 'Pyro Aerae'."

"I can't believe you're telling me, of all people."

He shrugged. "I can't tell too many people, but I guess I wanted you to know where to find me."

He turned, walking over to the boys dormitories and bewitching his trunk to follow him. He and Harry arrived to their room at the same time, and Harry whispered the password. They walked in, their trunks following, and Draco placed his on the foot of the bed. He and Harry stood looking at each other in silence, and Harry spoke first.

"If we're going to live together, we need to strike a truce or something."

"I know," Draco replied quietly.

"Look, you can't be so stubborn, our lives depend on- what? Did you just agree with me?"

Draco nodded. "Yeah, I did. So, uh, for lack of a better word, friends?" he asked, offering his hand.

This time, Harry didn't hesitate. "Yeah. It's time we get over this and give each other a chance."

"Agreed," Draco replied.

Harry walked into his room, placing his trunk in the same spot Draco had placed his, and they went to sleep after thinking that the other gave in to the truce too easily.

A/N: This chapter didn't write itself like the others did; I had to push it around a bit. Now all I need is a couple of reviews to get me to write next chapter fast and to make me feel better after my battle with the site. What do you say, guys?


	4. A change for Draco

A/N: It's here, hurray! I hope you like this one, it starts showing some things that hint at my evil plot twists. Any complaints about the psycho-ness of the plot shall be directed to Marille Earen and the psycho/evil plot bunnies Evil P., Plot and Bunny. Seriously, they will. :crickets chirp: I'm just going to let you get to the chapter now. Heh.

**_Bold italics_** are Railane's intros, _italics_ are thoughts, and anything in **bold** is a diary entry.

Chapter three: A change for Draco

_**After their first night at their double room, Harry and Draco seemed to be honoring their truce. The next morning they walked in at the same time and smiled slightly at each other, shocking everyone from teachers to students. Except for Dumbledore, that is. I swear, that man and his ever-present infernal twinkle. I'm sure so much twinkling has to cause brain damage or something. And then Draco told me about his time with Harry and my jaw dropped further. Dumbledore will never cease to amaze me. In Ron's eternal words: the man is off his rocker.**_

Harry opened his eyes and put on his glasses immediately, his eyes exploring the unfamiliar surroundings. The night before he really hadn't had a chance to look around his new room, but now in the morning he felt refreshed and ready to explore. Walking around the room, he noticed the décor had been made in the Gryffindor red and gold coloring, and a giant lion tapestry hung from the back of the door.

Sitting on the bed, he ruffled his ever untidy hair, sighing. He was seriously worried that Draco had agreed to a truce far too easily, and what bothered him the most was the fact that he had felt safe last night. And feeling safe around someone like Draco Malfoy was something he could not allow himself, regardless of how much Railane defended him and assured them that he was actually nice. Sure, Harry believed in giving everyone a chance, but he knew better than to trust him completely without proof that he'd changed.

Harry took a quick shower and pulled on his clothes hastily. Knocking before walking into Draco's room, he found Draco sitting on the bed fully clothed, looking as if he'd been waiting. "I thought I might have to rescue you, Potter," he drawled.

Harry scoffed. "From what, the shower from doom?"

Draco shrugged. "Hey, you can drown in two inches of water."

Harry didn't know if he should laugh or not, seeing as Draco looked so serious, but suddenly Draco himself cracked into laughter and Harry laughed along. "Say, Draco, I'd never heard you really laugh before."

Draco sobered immediately. "And you never called me by my first name before."

"I guess that now that we're in this truce I think of you differently," Harry mused, and Draco gave him a half smile.

"This might just work out yet," he told Harry, walking towards the door. Harry followed silently and they began their descent towards the Great Hall. As they got closer, Harry worked up the courage to ask something Liana had been wondering.

"Hey, Draco, what do you think about Railane?"

Dracon answered without a second thought. "Lesperance's alright. Stubborn and pushy and bossy, but she's okay. Why do you ask?"

Harry chuckled at Draco's description. "You two seem to be becoming friends, is all, and she's not like your usual crowd, so I guess I got curious."

"I'd ask about that friend of hers, but your answer's pretty much obvious," Draco told him an taunting tone.

"Oh, is it?" Harry asked with feigned indifference.

Draco smirked. "You fancy her, and it's no secret she fancies you. You should make your move."

Harry sputtered before recovering. "Have you gone mad? We've known each other for less than a week!"

"That and your experience with Chang scarred you for life," Draco replied tiredly, making Harry turn a bright shade of red.

"You seem to think you know a lot," Harry muttered, and Draco smirked even wider.

"Roger Davies' girlfriend told a lot of people, Harry. It's a legend now."

"Lemme guess," Harry muttered bitterly, "first I kill her boyfriend and then I cheat on her and make her cry publicly at Madam Puddifoot's, is that it?"

"Close," Draco replied, his smirk still in place. "Mine's good, but yours sounds oh-so-much-juicier." Harry shot him a look and Draco shook his head. "Relax. Now that everyone knows you were right about the Death Eaters and Voldemort, they think of you as the eternal goody-goody again. Everyone thinks Cho's just looking for a rebound and you were unlucky."

"That's nice to know," Harry muttered sarcastically and Draco snorted mirthlessly.

"Seriously, Po- Harry," he amended quickly, "leave the sarcasm and the muttering to me, will you? People will start to think we've switched places."

Harry paled. "I'm starting to think we've switched placed. What has happened to you?"

Draco stopped, making Harry realize that they were already in front of the doors that led to the Great Hall. "I realized I don't have enough energy to waste it all on making your life miserable, basically."

"Lovely," Harry replied, and they grinned at each other as they pushed the door open. The entire Hall fell silent at the sight of the two of them. They both sighed before turning to their respective tables with a last look at each other, and the eyes of everyone else in the room followed them until they took their seats. As soon as they both did, conversations everywhere resumed.

Railane smiled knowingly at Draco before taking another bite out of her pancake. He stared at her for few instants before she spoke. "What?"

Draco cringed. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to talk with your mouth full?"

She stuck out her tongue at him, showing him a piece of pancake before swallowing and bursting into laughter at the look on his face. "She did, actually, but I don't see her anywhere around here."

Draco groaned loudly. "Seriously, woman, you are incorrigible."

"But you're not, apparently," Blaise interjected, popping a pancake piece into his mouth. "Was it just me or were you getting chummy with Potter?"

"Harry," both Railane and Draco corrected, and Railane's eyes widened.

"Since when are H.J. and you on a first name basis?"

"H.J.?" Draco and Blaise asked.

"Harry James," Railane clarified. "And Draco, my question?"

"Since last night, if you have to know," Draco replied as he piled breakfast on his plate, and Railane snickered.

"Someone got lucky last night! What a way to inaugurate the private room," Blaise remarked with a laugh.

"Oh, there was no inauguration for either one of them," Railane replied with a wide grin before Draco could. "Liana and I were somewhere else."

"Woo-hoo!" Blaise replied, grinning like mad, and Railane winked at Draco, who looked at her with a rather exaggerated expression of horror.

"Look at it on the bright side. Better to be linked to annoying me than to a do-gooder wanker."

"Watch your language, Miss Lesperance!" Blaise told her in an authoritative voice, while Draco shook his head.

"I meant it, woman, there is no hope for you. And something tells me it's better this way."

She laughed. "Amen, Draco, amen."

The clicked goblets and drank, laughing.

* * *

As soon as Harry sat down, he was met by Liana's proud look, Ron's open-mouthed shock and Hermione's appraising expression. "I'm impressed," Liana remarked, and Harry grinned. 

"Not only did we manage to survive the first night in our rooms, but I also got to ask him your burning question."

Her eyes widened. "You did? What did he say?"

"He said, and I quote, 'Lesperance's alright. Stubborn and pushy and bossy, but she's okay'."

"He's right on all counts," Liana replied with a smile.

Ron finally got over his shock and turned to Hermione. "Will someone please explain whythose two seem to be friends now?"

"Uh, because they're sharing a double room for the rest of the year and have mutual friends?" Liana replied.

"Room thing makes sense. But mutual friends? There's only Railane."

"And me," Liana replied.

"And me, if he'll give me a chance," Hermione told Ron calmly.

Ron looked even more horrified than he had before. "After he called you a you-know-what?"

"Yes," Hermione replied. "Everyone deserves a second chance. I think it's time we leave our childish thinking behind."

"I think we're on the hundredth chance by now, but yeah, I agree," Harry added.

"I cannot believe this," Ron said, drinking his pumpkin juice in an attempt to drown the horror he was feeling. "He's a nasty piece of work, we all know that, so why give him a chance to screw us over?"

"I thought the same thing, Ron," Harry explained patiently, "so I proposed a truce on the off chance that I'd catch him off guard, but he agreed immediately and he was actually nice to me this morning. He even joked."

"I'm not buying this, Harry. I'm sure he has some sort of a hidden agenda."

Liana groaned, rolling her eyes. "Have a little faith, Ron. Let's give the guy a chance. If he proves to be a git again, then we give up and then you win."

Hermione nodded approvingly. "Great idea, Liana."

Liana beamed, pleased with herself, and Harry grinned. "See, Ron? This way, we'll all be happy."

"Oh, all right," Ron replied. "We'll give the guy a chance. Minute he screws up, it's all over."

They went back to their breakfast, Harry catching Liana's eye and giving her a thumbs up before digging in. Liana smiled to herself, winking at Hermione before catching Railane's eye across the room and saluting her with her goblet. Railane saluted her as well, and they drank to their plans.

* * *

Both Slytherins and Gryffindors filed in to the dungeons for their Potions class. Even though no Gryffindor was happy with this, at least it was only one hour of Potions instead of the double sessions they had three times a week. Everyone sat down with their partners from the last time, and Snape waved his wand irritably, making their cauldrons reappear. 

"Anyone messes anything up this session," he said in a bothered voice, "and not only will I change your partners but I'll fail you in this potion and the next two."

Railane raised her eyebrows. "I wouldn't want to get into his path today," she muttered, checking her textbook to make sure the potion had progressed properly.

"He was called by Voldemort today," Draco whispered in her ear. "He was rubbing the Mark when he came in."

Railane turned to him, eyes wide. "Does Dumbledore know?"

Draco nodded. "Yes. He feeds information to the Order. Or so I've gathered."

"Does your father know about this?" she asked gently.

He shook his head softly. "No, because I won't tell him. I won't help Voldemort no matter how much power he offers me." Lest it sound too noble, he added, "a Malfoy bows down to no one."

She smiled at him, letting her fingers glide over his brow softly. "I'm glad to hear that. I'd hate for us to be on opposite sides."

He took the book from her gently and then fixed his eyes on hers. "I'll never go over. I've seen and heard what they do, and I will never let myself hurt people like they have. Like they like to do. Seeing what I was going to become made me rethink things."

She gave his hand a quick squeeze before leaning in to read the book, and Draco followed suit. After adding the two ingredients that were left to the potion, Railane waved her wand so their cauldron would stir itself and then turned to Liana, fixing her eyes on her. Liana felt she was being watched and looked at Railane, who looked around to make sure she wasn't being watched before mouthing at her. "Meet me by the oak again after lunch. Bring the others."

Liana nodded almost imperceptibly before turning back to Harry and passing on the message. Class went by very slowly, mostly because of Snape's foul mood, and when the bell rang, every single student sighed in relief and filed out quietly. Slytherins divided, some heading for Astronomy, some for Divination. All Gryffindors filed towards Herbology.

Upon arriving, Liana noticed that they were taking Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and groaned softly. Hermione and her eternal perfection were irritating enough at times, but having Hermione and Ernie together in one class was sure to prove excruciating. As if fate would have it, she ended up sitting between the two of them. Harry and Ron threw her sympathetic looks, and Liana adopted a pained expression before putting her head in her hands.

Minutes later Professor Sprout walked in, pulling a cart filled with encaged plants. Harry, Ron and Hermione recognized it instantly as Devil's Snare. Professor Sprout distributed the plants among the students before walking to the front. "All right, students, today we will be studying Devil's Snare. I am well aware that some of you have already have some encounters, so to say, with the plant." The trio grinned at each other. "What we will be learning today is how to control the plant long enough to pull the roots out. In the places where the roots hold on, they deposit small blue spheres that contain a substance very powerful and rare; a substance you will be needing for your Potions class this year.

In order to keep the tendrils from wrapping around your body, you must use the 'Incendio' spell, but you must keep the fire on the tip of your wands in order to use your other hand to pick the plant up. Once the roots are out, your partner will use his or her wand to levitate the spheres out. Points will be given to the people who do it fast without harming the plant in any way. Therefore, points will be subtracted it the flames touch the plant. You may begin."

Liana ended up partnering with Ernie, and he agreed to hold the plant while she levitated the spheres out. They performed every part perfectly, and both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were awarded five points each. Hermione and Hannah Abott were the second ones to finish and they got five points each, too. As Liana watched Ron and Harry struggle to keep the flame on the tip of the wand, she wondered how things were going for Railane at Divination.

* * *

Railane yawned, her eyes close to glazing over as Professor Trelawney droned on. She'd thought taking Divination would keep her from having to study too much for Astronomy, but she hadn't realized just how incredibly boring Divination could be when you realized that deep down it was all a load of rubbish. 

Sure, in her family three witches out of five had the sight to some degree, but reading tea leaves? This was absurd. Firenze agreed with Railane on that count, and insisted that the best way to predict anything was looking at the skies, but Professor Trelawney, deprived of her tower and her sweet-smelling fumes, insisted that anyone who wanted to look at the sky should just go to Astronomy. Judging by the look on half the students' faces, they'd rather take Astronomy and Arithmancy than sit and suffer while she insisted on the tea leaves' magical properties.

Railane walked over to Firenze, teacup in hand. He immediately turned to look at her, and she took a deep breath before speaking. "Excuse me, but I have a question about the position of the planets during this week."

Firenze tilted his head to the side, studying her. "What have you seen, Miss Lesperance?"

She lowered her voice. "Mars is still unusually bright, and the angle it's making with Saturn and Venus signals the slow simmering of a conflict. Is that referring to the upcoming battle with Lord Voldemort?"

Firenze smiled his unusual smile at her. "Yes, it is. I am glad you noticed. You come from a line of seers, and I expected no less of you. You need not waste your time in the useless human arts for prediction, because you can sense things. A rare gift you possess."

She looked down at the teacup with a slight smile. "I can read the leaves, though. Professor Trelawney is going to trip over Millicent's chair and she'll knock Blaise down." Firenze raised an eyebrow, challenging, and Railane simply grinned. Instants later, she leaned forward to scold Blaise for misreading his leaves when she tripped with Millicent's chair and fell to the ground on top of Blaise.

Railane laughed with everyone else, winking at Firenze before going back to her table. Firenze realized that, if Railane hadn't been talking to him, she too, would be on the floor with Trelawney and Blaise, and he allowed himself another smile. "A rare gift, indeed."

* * *

Liana arrived at the oak instants after Draco, Blaise and Railane had seated, and right behind her were Harry, Ron and Hermione. They all sat and after Railane made sure no one was listening in she began to speak. "Okay, I assume you all know that Professor Snape used to be a Death Eater." Everyone except Liana, whose eyes widened, nodded. "Well, he was being summoned today. Repeatedly. Which makes me think something big's about to happen. I sent an owl to my mother during the day, and she replied immediately. Apparently the Ministry of Magic has a reunion today to reinstall Professor Dumbledore as Wizengamot, and all the important dignitaries of the Ministry will be there. Mom thinks it's a good opportunity for him to attack. She also offered to fly us there." 

"Maybe we should tell Tonks first," Hermione reasoned.

Draco nodded. "That would be a good idea. I'd like to go with you, but my father will probably be there and I don't want him to know yet. Rebelling against my father is a dangerous step."

"It's okay, Draco," Railane replied, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I agree. I just wanted you to know so you wouldn't feel out of the loop."

"I appreciate that," he replied with a faint smile.

Liana sighed. "I'm going to sound like my mother, but I really don't think it's a good idea to escape in our first week here. Especially to go and get ourselves in danger."

"I have to agree with that," Ron said quietly. "Hermione and I are prefects now, and we could get in worse trouble than anyone else."

"We'll talk to Professor Tonks, then?" Blaise asked.

Everyone nodded except Harry, who was as impassive as he had been before. Railane noticed and looked at him. "Harry, is everything okay?"

"It's just that, since Sirius almost died because of my stupidity last year, I keep wondering whether every plan of Voldemort's is just a bluff to get me or someone else killed."

"This one's not," Railane told him with a kind smile. "I have reliable sources. Now let's go talk to Tonks and get it off our minds."

The seven walked into the castle and towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, but they ran into Tonks halfway. Explaining their suspicions hurriedly, they kept making sure no one was listening in. Tonks smiled when they finished. "I appreciate the concern and the plan, but the meeting was canceled fifteen minutes ago when Severus explained that he was being summoned constantly."

"So we were right," Railane stated.

"Yes, you were. But I'd appreciate it if you'd be discreet about these matters."

Harry understood instantly. "Railane reckons we can trust him, and I believe her. Besides, he's been acting different lately."

Railane had been ready to defend Draco, but when Harry had done so her jaw dropped. And so did everyone else's, apparently. Even Draco himself was stunned. Harry simply shrugged it off, but Railane could tell Draco had been touched by the gesture. As they walked towards their afternoon class, double History of Magic, Railane smiled to herself, glad that Harry and Draco were already on good terms.

She was thinking about just that when she collided into someone. Muttering about her own clumsiness, she was surprised when he knelt to help her stuff everything into her bag again. She looked up and found herself gazing into a pair of eyes as dark as hers. He smiled sweetly at her as they both rose. "I don't think we've met before. I'm Oliver."

She smiled, tilting her head up so she could keep looking into his eyes. "I know who you are. I'm Railane."

He bowed slightly. "It's nice to meet you. And I'm sorry about that, I was thinking about something."

"That makes two of us," Railane assured him. "I've got to get to class, but we'll see each other around, Professor Wood."

He shook his head. "As long as we're out of class, it's Oliver."

She grinned. "All right, I'll see you later, Oliver."

"Likewise, Railane."

They each went their own ways and Railane chuckled quietly. Who would've thought she'd be so impressed by him? Sure, he was tall, well-built, and he had the most beautiful dark eyes she'd ever seen. And he was a Gryffindor and a famous man. But she considered her own eyes to be beautiful as well, and he wasn't the most handsome man she'd met, but for some reason she couldn't get his smile off her mind.

A/N: So this is it. Hope you like. Please review so I get inspiration and write fast, okay? Oh, and Marille? I got you new crickets!


	5. A sudden relationship

A/N: I'm sorry I didn't update when I was supposed to, but I had to finish my Biology project to hand in and I also had to begin studying for my midterms, which are this week, and since they count for thirty percent of my grade I really need to do good. Oh, and I have absolutely no idea what Blaise Zabini actually looks like, this is just what I'd like him to look like.

**_Bold italics_** are Railane's intros, _italics_ are thoughts, and anything in **bold** is a diary entry.

Chapter four: A sudden relationship

_**While the truce between Harry and Draco seemed to be holding up, I was a little preoccupied. Besides homework, Blaise insisted he had some secret he needed to tell me, Quidditch tryouts began and I couldn't get my mind off Oliver. Thankfully I had Liana to distract me and Harry and Draco to turn to as well. And Ron and Hermione had their usual war waging, while Snape's mood went from bad to really bad to awesomely bad to unthinkable.**_

Railane waked over to the Slytherin table with a tired air. Draco observed her quietly while Blaise smiled brightly for the third time in the past five minutes. "Fridays rock."

Railane rubbed her eyes, yawning. "Yeah, they do. I am so glad we can sleep in tomorrow."

"You can't," Draco informed her. "Tryouts are tomorrow."

Railane looked at him with wide eyes. "No way, Draco. I need some sleep."

"Come on, I want you to be on the team!"

"I don't even know if I can fly, Draco, let alone play Quidditch," she replied.

"I could solve that," a voice interjected, and Railane turned to find Oliver standing behind her. "I came over to let you know that all tryouts have been postponed until after the Hogsmeade weekend due to the fact that students want a little bit more time to practice. And I could help you practice, if you want."

She smiled. "I'd like that a lot. Thanks for the offer, Oliver, I appreciate this."

"Don't worry about it, it's my pleasure. I'll see you tomorrow at eleven o'clock on the pitch? Thought you might want to sleep in a bit."

She nodded, smiling gratefully. "Perfect." He smiled at her with his now characteristic bow, turning around and departing. She turned back to the table to find Draco staring at her with wide eyes. "What now?"

"Since when do you fancy him?" he asked irritably.

Railane was shocked at his reaction. "I don't fancy Oliver, Draco. He's just a gentleman who's being nice to me and helping me out; that's all. Maybe he feels guilty about knocking me down yesterday or something."

"Wow, you had the first encounter yesterday and you're already on a first-name basis? Although this shouldn't surprise me, considering you're going on a date," he commented sarcastically.

Blaise looked amused while Railane replied heatedly. "It is not a bloody date, Draco, and even if it was it would be of no matter to you." Draco was at loss for words for a few instants before storming off. "What the hell's his problem?" she muttered.

"I think he's feeling a bit replaced, Lane. You two have spent almost all the time together since the beginning of term, and suddenly you're going off on a private flying lesson with one of the most wanted men in school?" Blaise replied gently even though he knew she hadn't been talking to him.

She looked up at him, her dark eyes clouded before she shook her head. "Maybe we should talk about whatever's been bothering you now, since I'll spend the rest of breakfast in Draco's room trying to calm him down."

"Well," Blaise began, unsure, "I think I might be, well...Ah, to hell with it. I think I'm gay."

Railane looked unfazed as she finished her toast. "And?"

He looked confused. "You're okay with this?"

She scoffed. "Uh, duh. You're my friend, Blaise, and whoever you want to sleep with makes no difference to me."

He sputtered a bit at the sleeping comment before smiling at her. "Thanks, Lane. Now there's just one more thing."

"Hm?"

"I think some of the guys are figuring it out, and I'm not ready to talk to them about it yet, so I need to cover up and I need a pretend girlfriend. Someone whom I trust, someone who likes me enough and someone who understands so she won't feel used."

Realization dawned immediately. "Oh, no, Blaise. I'm in enough trouble with Draco already."

He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Railane, please. I can't count on anyone else for this. And it's only going to be for a short period of time. And who knows, maybe this'll spur Draco into action. The minute he makes his move, we'll be over."

Railane sighed. "Oh, all right. But if Draco hates me after this, I'm kicking your ass."

"Thanks, Lane. You rock."

She grinned. "Duh. I'm going to go see if I can get Draco to talk me again." She walked away, straightening her hair nervously as she headed towards Draco's room with a plate in her hands. Whispering the password quietly, she walked into his room to find him sitting on the side of the bed, his head between his hands.

She took a few hesitant steps towards him, and he lifted his head, his gray eyes fixing on hers. She froze, sighing deeply, but he motioned for her to come closer. She sat next to him after leaving the plate on the nightstand and began to speak quietly. "I'm sorry that I snapped at you. I didn't mean to."

His eyes met hers, and he smiled very faintly. "I know. I was out of line, too. It's okay if you fancy him, you know."

"I don't, even though I do think he's handsome. But I'm sort of going to be going out with someone in the near future. I'm not in love with him or anything, I'm just doing Blaise a favor."

He smiled. "So Zabini does swing both ways. Nice."

_That was quick, _Railane thought. "How'd you know?"

"So do I. And since Finnegan's been flirting with him…"

Railane had an expression that made her resemble a large goldfish. "You're... and Seamus! No way! What, is everyone but Liana and me a swinger?"

"I think Potter's straight," Draco replied before laughing. "Not really, we're just hormonal teenagers. It's a phase."

"Still, I have to help Blaise cover. But if Seamus' is interested we should let him know beforehand." Draco began eating quietly, and she sighed. "This isn't going to be easy."

He nodded. "It won't, but if anyone can pull it off, it's you."

"Thanks, Dray." Hesitantly, she added, "Uh, may I call you that?"

He nodded again. "I think it's nice. Just don't use it too often."

She smiled, taking the empty plate from him. "Come on, let's get to our first class."

* * *

Liana had noticed the argument between Draco and Railane, and when he stormed off she was shocked to see that Railane didn't follow him. The others realized where Liana's attentions lay and they started looking there, too. Railane had a few more minutes of hushed conversation with Blaise before picking up Draco's untouched plate and walking away, undoubtedly towards his room. 

Liana turned to the others to find them looking at her. "Any idea what that was all about?" Ron asked.

"Obviously, Professor Wood said something that angered Draco," Hermione replied.

"Since when are you calling him Professor Wood?" Harry asked her.

"Well, he is a teacher now," she defended herself, and then noticed Liana was staring at her glass absently. "Liana, is everything okay?"

She looked up, smiling faintly. "I'm just thinking about something Lane said when she mentioned she met Oliver. It's nothing." Seeing Hermione's look, she added, "Railane said that he insisted we call him that outside of class."

"Oh, well, then," Hermione replied, none too pleased with the idea.

Liana fiddled with her food a few more minutes before dropping her cutlery and rising quietly, heading towards the Slytherin table. People gasped, for no such thing had been done in the past years. She ignored the hushed whispers and motioned for Blaise to follow her. They stepped outside and Liana sighed before speaking. "What happened with Railane and Draco?"

"He blew up at her because she's taking a flying lesson tomorrow with Wood."

She smiled. "That'll be cool… I think I'm going to crash her lesson."

"Draco will probably crash it, too," Blaise replied with a laugh, "and maybe we should be there to do some damage control. Besides, I'm not letting my girl alone with two of the most eligible men in the castle."

Liana sputtered. "What! Your girl! You're kidding, right?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" he asked.

She looked abashed. "Well, no, not really, it's just that she never mentioned anything."

Blaise hung his head, sighing. "There's something you have to know, Liana, before you think something else and Railane kicks my ass for it. Railane didn't tell you because this is something that we decided today. She's helping me with something, but we're not really involved… not the way people will think, anyway."

Liana sighed in relief. "Thank God. I was starting to think she'd given up on Draco."

"I don't think she will in quite some time," he replied, "unless of course, Wood makes a move."

"He's our teacher," she replied, resembling Hermione in her indignation.

Blaise scoffed. "Oh, come on, Liana, that's medieval."

She shook her head. "He's decent and responsible and I seriously doubt that he'd get involved with his students."

He smiled. "Please. He likes Railane, even I can tell. Besides, she's not going to be his student in a few years, you know."

"Maybe later, they'll start liking each other that way, but you wouldn't wait two years for someone you like."

"I said he liked her now, but I never said he's going to just like her forever," Blaise told her pointedly before smirking.

Liana rolled her eyes and exited the Great Hall in search for Railane. Who did Blaise think he was, a prophet? There was no way he knew what he was talking about with Railane and Oliver. She didn't have to go very far, as Railane and Draco were already entering the Charms classroom and her thoughts on Blaise dissipated. Walking in after them, Liana motioned for Railane to meet her outside. Seconds later, they were standing face to face in the corridor. "What's going on?" she asked quietly.

Liana bit her lip. "Blaise told me. How'd Draco take it?"

"Fine, he understands the nature of our 'relationship'."

Liana smirked. "I doubt Blaise would appreciate the air quotes."

"Hey, he knows that this is just business." They looked at each other seriously for a minute before bursting into laughter. "Anyway," Railane continued, "I have a flying lesson with Oliver tomorrow. Want to drop by?"

"I was going to anyway, and you should know that Blaise is planning on showing up, too. He wants to mark his territory."

Railane groaned. "Why, that little idiot. Who does he think he is?"

"Uh, your boyfriend?" Liana pointed out.

"Point taken," she replied in defeat. "This is going to suck."

Liana nodded. "On a bright side, though, you'll get to ride Oliver's awesome broom." Railane raised an eyebrow and Liana smacked her shoulder. "I didn't mean it that way, you nincompoop."

"Scrabble moment," Railane told her with a grin as the bell rang.

"A what?" Blaise asked from behind Liana.

"Inside joke, long story," both girls replied before entering the classroom. Blaise pulled Railane to sit with him, to which Draco scowled even though he knew it was a necessary step, and Liana got to sit with Harry again. Professor Flitwick entered instants later, positioning himself on top of his cushions as usual. Railane and Liana exchanged a look before taking out their textbooks.

"I am very glad to see you are all prepared," he began in his squeaky voice, "and today I have a treat for you. We'll be practicing the slashing motion necessary for the spell 'Epluribus Annuit', which will allow you to conjure an exact copy of any object. It's a spell that will be present in your N.E.W.T.s, and I want you to have as much practice as possible.

I must point out that it is not possible to apply this spell to living creatures, and that it will take a while before you can master it. I have a very ambitious program for this semester, where we'll actually conjure things out of thin air, but we'll start with this to warm up to tougher spells. You've already sat down in pairs, so study the motion that appears in your textbook until you feel comfortable with it. You will have a fifteen minute period to do this before we begin trying the spell on those bottle caps over there. In the meantime, I will be going around the room in case anyone has any questions."

Chatter erupted as soon as Professor Flitwick stepped off his cushions and began walking around the room. Railane got the motion exactly right on her second attempt, making Professor Flitwick squeal with excitement, since finally someone besides Hermione had been quick to get it. Liana got it about a minute later, and when Railane was sure no one was looking, she pulled Blaise closer to her. "We need to set ground rules, Zabini."

"What about?" he asked innocently.

She raised an eyebrow. "My being your girlfriend, of course. I really don't like this idea, and it'll be brief, got it? And hands off at all times."

"Occasional hand-holding?" he suggested.

"Fine," she snapped, "but I want this over with fast. I cannot believe I'm being your pretend girlfriend."

"Hey, it happens."

She groaned, rolling her eyes, and before long Professor Flitwick asked her to hand out the bottle caps to begin practicing the spell. He enunciated the spell clearly a few times, and soon shouts of "Epluribus Annuit!" filled the room. Railane concentrated, gripping her cherry oak wand tightly as she spoke clearly. The bottle cap made a loud popping sound and floated in the air for a few instants before landing with a soft thud next to its exact copy.

Professor Flitwick clapped delightedly, and Railane was shocked to see that not even Hermione had done it yet. Liana followed her example and copied her bottle cap perfectly, with Hermione copying hers seconds later. Harry managed it fifteen minutes later, with Draco trailing close behind. Over the remaining half hour of the class very little people managed, and Professor Flitwick dismissed them without homework because he was aware that it was a difficult spell.

Railane was the first out the door, with Blaise following her. He slipped his hand into hers, and Railane had to smile at the irony of it. He was taller than she was, with cerulean eyes and light brown hair with dark blond streaks. Lean-muscled and long-limbed, he made a lot of Slytherin girls swoon, as evidenced by all the dark looks she was getting. And here she was, his 'girlfriend', and she was wishing it was someone else who held her hand. She sighed. Being a guy's best friend was always complicated.

As soon as they arrived at their Transfiguration class, Blaise released her hand, and Railane smiled at his consideration. She leaned into him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before turning to the front again. Professor McGonnagal arrived ten minutes late for class, and everyone stared at her in shock. She handed out birds to those who hadn't mastered 'Arev Exercens' yet, and asked the rest of the class to read up on the proper use for the spell while she evaluated the others.

Railane held her head in her hands as she skimmed the page, and then she shot a look to her left to check on Draco. He was staring at his book absently, his hands in a steeple under his chin. He suddenly lifted his head, feeling her gaze on him, and he looked at her, smiling slightly. She turned back to Blaise, running her right hand through her hair as she thought of her upcoming flying lesson with Oliver.

* * *

Liana sat to lunch with Harry while Ron and Hermione went off to talk to Percy, who was now mingling with the students. Liana debated for a few instants before leaning towards Harry. "I don't like him," she commented quietly, tilting her head towards Percy. 

"Neither do I," Harry replied. "I used to, but then he pulled the whole family-betrayal card and I just can't stand the guy now."

"He just seems like a very disloyal person," she remarked, sighing.

He frowned. "Percy say anything to you?"

"Not really, no," Liana replied evasively. "I just don't like him, he gives me the creeps."

He nodded. "Well, if he does or says anything let me know, alright?"

She smiled brightly. "I appreciate that, Harry. Thanks." He shrugged it off and they continued eating their lunch. Minutes later cheering erupted at the Slytherin table, and everyone's eyes shifted there. Millicent and Pansy had been daring Railane to prove that she was Blaise's girlfriend, and not one to back down from a dare she did. Draco remained impassive, but even from so far away Liana could tell that he didn't like the idea much.

Ron and Hermione sat next to Liana and she turned her attention back to them. "I can't believe she'd do that so publicly," Hermione remarked reprovingly.

"I can't believe she's dating him," Ron replied. "I mean, I'm available."

Liana smiled. "Hey, Blaise is a brilliant catch, and I think they look cute together. Besides, I know he's a sweet guy and he'll take care of her."

"You make it sound like marriage," Ron told her, and it was Harry who replied.

"Well, it's not like we're little kids anymore, you know? We are sixteen. And my parents dated during their seventh year before they got married, remember?"

"Well, yeah," Ron admitted reluctantly.

Hermione sighed. "Such a waste of time," she muttered.

"What's a waste of time?" Liana asked.

"This whole idea of giving us half of the afternoon to catch up on homework when we could be taking class. I already did all my homework, and I'll be bored senseless."

"Speak for yourself," Ron retorted irritably, "I have a lot of stuff to do and having History of Magic today is bad enough. Besides, I'm sure you can find some obscure research project to entertain yourself with."

Lunch was over after a few minutes of silence, and the Gryffindors filed towards History of Magic along with the Hufflepuffs, while Slytherins and Ravenclaws headed towards their electives. Liana waved at Railane and Blaise, who seemed to be more comfortable with the boyfriend-girlfriend idea, and then smiled slightly at Draco. Sighing, she wondered how Railane's flying lesson would go with Blaise and Draco watching, and with those thoughts she headed towards History of Magic, ready to set her mind on automatic note-taking.

A/N: I wanted to make this a bit longer, but if I did this would've been too long. Flying lesson's in the next chapter, and also a bit more Blaise/Railane. I really like them together, for some reason. Maybe 'cause it sort of just happened. Well, enough babbling. Leave me a review on the way out and I'll write a paragraph in your honor. :grins:


	6. Lessons in life, love and broomsticks

A/N: I'm feeling a little bit abandoned even though I'm trying my best to stay on schedule, neglecting other projects in the process. Could y'all please just drop a review and let a girl know she's loved? Oh, and Marille? Hope this brings good memories.

Chapter five: Lessons in life, love and broomsticks

_**My mother always said I shouldn't judge people by others' standards. So I don't think she would've approved of my being prejudiced against Percy Weasley or overly excited to fly with Oliver Wood. But as it often happens my instincts were right, and the day of my first flying lesson further proved both of my initial assumptions. **_

Railane awoke to someone pounding on her door. Covering her ears with her pillow, she tried to get back to sleep, but the noise was relentless. She got out of bed to find the dormitory already deserted, and she opened the door, mumbling. Liana stood with breakfast in her hands, dressed in jeans and a bright orange shirt. "Morning, Lane," she greeted before walking in the room.

Railane was shocked into wakefulness. "Liana Richards awake on a Saturday before noon? Hell must've frozen over."

"Hermione woke me up so I'd have plenty of time to prepare for our lesson with Oliver and I got the password from Draco, who insisted we pick him up before heading to the Quidditch pitch."

Railane groaned loudly. "Damn it. I'm a total mess, I'm absolutely sleepy, we'll have a crowd watching and I can't miss the lesson."

"Sure you can," Liana replied, handing her a glass filled with grape juice. "I don't mind staying with him."

"I bet," Railane replied dryly before taking a sip. "I'm going to go shower. Be back in a few minutes."

Liana nodded. "I'm going to go and pick out your clothes."

Railane looked wary at this, but shrugged it off and headed for the shower. Emerging in a towel fifteen minutes later, she found Liana playing with a video game Hermione had enchanted so it would draw on the magic in the air instead of batteries, that way it would operate on Hogwarts grounds. Beside her lay jeans and a three-quarter sleeved red Levis top. Picking it up, Railane walked to the bathroom again and got dressed.

By the time she returned to the room Liana was gone, and Railane walked outside, looking for her. She found her in the corridor next to Blaise and two shiny brooms. Liana grinned. "Harry and Draco have lent us brooms in an attempt to keep us from sharing a broom with Oliver."

"Which we'll do anyway," Railane replied, grinning as well.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," Blaise said, picking the two brooms up.

Railane giggled, taking his arm. "Aw, my boyfriend is such a gentleman."

"And he's gorgeous, too," Blaise added.

Liana shook her head, muttering. "Draco's definitely not going to like this."

* * *

By the time the trio had arrived at the pitch, Draco and Oliver were engaged in a staring duel. Oliver snapped out of it as soon as he saw Railane, greeting her and the others warmly, whilst Draco continued to glare and scowl. Oliver began with a few tips on broom safety before instructing the girls to place them flat on the ground. 

Extending their arms towards the brooms, both Liana and Railane chanted "Up!" Both brooms flew into their hands immediately, and the two girls looked at each other nervously. Mounting the brooms, they took deep breaths. Oliver moved towards Liana first, moving her hands to correct her grip before asking her to slide a bit forward. "Perfect," he commented quietly. He then moved over to Railane. Her grip was perfect, but her posture was too tense. He placed a hand on her shoulder and asked her to relax a bit. Once she did, he smiled. "You read up on flying, eh?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I did. I just didn't want to look like a dork, you know?"

Oliver smiled. "You couldn't if you tried, trust me."

She looked down, blushing, and Blaise shot her a look, tilting his head lightly in Draco's direction. Railane shifted her gaze towards him and he looked up at the same time, and gentle brown eyes met steely gray. The coldness in his gaze stilled her, and she exhaled slowly, her eyes still on his, before turning back to Oliver, who was already watching over Liana's wobbly hover.

When she touched back down, he smiled softly. "You can't expect to be absolutely brilliant on the first try, Liana. That only happened with Harry."

"Well, a girl can dream," she replied with a giggle.

"Yes, she can," he told her, shaking his head. "Okay, Railane, your turn to hover." She gripped the broom tightly with a nervous look at Oliver before kicking off the ground gingerly. She hovered for a moment, her nervousness easing as she rose a bit higher, and at Oliver's signal she leaned forward to touch back down. Once she was back on land, Oliver clapped appreciatively. "Not bad for a first timer. You really did do your homework."

"I wanted to do my best today," Railane admitted quietly.

"You don't like heights yet you hovered pretty high up. I consider that doing your best," he replied in an equally quiet tone. She blushed harder this time, but kept her eyes on his. He smiled sweetly before returning to Liana. "Okay, Liana. Ready to do a lap around the pitch?"

"Definitely," she replied.

He shook his head. "I never thought I'd see someone so canty to go and do their first flying lap."

"Canty?" Liana asked in confusion.

"Cheerful," Railane supplied, and when Oliver turned to her in surprise she shrugged. "It's Scottish slang, mostly used in Glasgow," she stopped, smiling, "I read. A lot."

He smiled, impressed, and turned back to Liana, mounting his own broom. "All right, Liana, let's give this a try." They both kicked off in unison, and Liana rose quickly, Oliver trailing close behind. She hovered about twenty feet off the ground before zooming to the other side of the pitch, Oliver speeding after her. After a few loops, she zoomed towards the ground before leveling off and touching back down. Railane applauded, grinning, and Oliver touched down next to Liana with a sigh. "You almost gave me a heart attack, woman."

"Same thing Dad said when he taught me how to drive," she replied, laughing.

He turned to Railane. "Are you ready?"

"No?" she replied hopefully.

"Come on, Railane, I'll be right behind you."

She looked alarmed. "What if I lose control of the broom or something?"

"You won't." She looked thoroughly unconvinced and he walked over to her, broom in hand. "Would you feel better if I joined you on your broom for the first lap?"

"You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all. But then you'll have to bring me down so I can get my broom and make sure you can fly on your own." She nodded and he handed his broom to Liana. Railane kicked off and leveled the broom for him to mount, sliding a bit forward so he'd have room. He accommodated himself behind her, placing a hand loosely on her waist. "All right, let's get some height." She rose a couple of feet nervously, and he smiled reassuringly. "You're doing fine. Just relax. I'm right here with you."

She smiled to herself before gaining more speed and height. Once she reached the height Liana had tried, she sped towards the goal posts on the other side of the field. She circled around them, and tried a loop a bit hesitantly. Oliver adjusted the broom a bit as they looped, but other than that she'd done great. As if reading his thoughts, she sped downward, hovering near Liana so Oliver could dismount and get his own broom. Liana gave her a thumbs-up before Oliver sped past Railane, stopping ten feet above them. "Think you can catch me up here?"

_Unfair, _Railane thought with a grin, _he probably knows I can't resist a challenge. _She zoomed after him, and it wasn't until she reached him and hovered next to him that she realized how high up they were. "That was mean," she told him playfully. "I'm only a beginner."

He smirked. "I wouldn't have asked you to fly after me if I didn't think you could make it."

"What if I had fallen?"

He shrugged. "I would've sped after you and caught you."

"Just like that, eh?" she replied with a smirk of her own, her heart warmed by his words.

He hung his head shyly for a minute before replying. "For you, just like that." Her face changed from a smirk to surprise, and he grinned devilishly. "Oh, come on. If I fell, wouldn't you catch me?"

She answered immediately. "Yes." He smirked smugly, like she had a minute ago, and she shook her head. "Think we should go down yet?"

"I daresay we should. I don't think Zabini is liking the idea of us being up here very much."

Railane scoffed. "Let him not like it. It's not like we're doing anything wrong up here. Not yet, anyway." Oliver was taken aback and she laughed. "I couldn't help myself. Let's go."

They zoomed downward in perfect alignment, touching down in unison. Liana clapped at the performance, and Blaise joined, winking at Railane. Draco clapped reluctantly, but when Railane caught his eye he gave her a wan smile before turning to the castle. Liana wanted to fly a bit more and Oliver insisted on keeping an eye on her just in case, and asked Railane to stay. She debated a few instants before shaking her head. "I've had enough flying for today. I'm going to go talk to Draco. Are you coming, Blaise?"

"Nah, that's alright. I'll stick around a bit more," he replied, knowing that she intended to go calm Draco. Railane nodded gratefully before turning around and running after him, broom in hand. She finally caught up with him almost at the castle entrance.

"Draco, wait." He turned to her slowly. "Think we could take a walk and talk?"

He was tempted to refuse, but nodded instead, falling into step next to her. "So, did you enjoy your lesson?"

"Yes," she answered honestly. "I had fun and managed to survive it, which is all I ever wanted. Thanks for loaning me your dear broom, it's a great one. Oliver was impressed."

"I bet he was," Draco muttered.

"So was I," she told him softly. "You didn't have to lend me your broom. I know that you adore your broom, and it means a lot that you lent it to me."

He shrugged, walking to the edge of the lake. "Anytime."

She stood next to him, hair flowing in the breeze as she looked at their reflections in the water. "This thing with Blaise is getting complicated."

"You're doing fine," he told her quietly. "It's very believable."

"A bit too much so?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"You read my mind," he replied. "If I didn't know better, I'd say he actually loves you."

She ran a hand through her hair. "He does. Just not like anything other than a close friend."

"You know what I meant."

"Yeah, I do. I just like annoying you," she told him with a smile, resting her head against his chest.

"I've noticed," he replied dryly, letting his right arm rest on her shoulders.

She smiled at the gesture. "This is cute, Dray."

He nodded with a frown. "Too cute. I'm startling even myself."

"I like you this way," she said softly. "When you're being yourself and not hiding behind the tough mask."

"I can't do that often," he admitted quietly, cursing himself mentally. Why was he telling her so much? He knew that trusting someone too much was dangerous, and even though Railane didn't seem to be the betraying type, one never knew.

Her next words brought him out of his thoughts and sent him straight into a guilt trip. "I know, and I'm glad that you trust me enough to truly show yourself."

"How touching," a voice intervened before Draco could speak and they turned, startled, to find themselves face-to-face with the infamous Percy Weasley.

Before Draco could reply with an insult, Railane spoke in a polite tone. "Mr. Weasley, may I ask why you have seen fit to intrude in our conversation?"

"Students aren't supposed to be out here all alone."

"Draco's with me so he's not alone, and I'm with him so I'm not alone."

Draco smirked with pride at her remark, and Percy gulped before speaking again. "I could deduct points from Slytherin for your attitude, Miss Lesperance."

"But you can't, Mr. Weasley, because she has been nothing but polite to you," Blaise interjected, pulling Railane towards himself. Liana and Oliver stood next to them.

"Is there a problem, Percy?" Oliver asked, his dark eyes fixed on him.

"It's nothing, Oliver. I'll just leave now."

As soon as he was out of earshot, Railane sighed in relief. "I can't believe him."

"He's a nasty piece of work these days," Oliver commented quietly. "He wasn't like this before."

"Shame we didn't know him before, then," Liana replied before shaking her head. "Come on, let's go inside. They'll be serving dinner any minute now."

Before Oliver could ask, Railane answered him. "She means supper. In America dinner is called lunch and supper is called dinner."

"I'm impressed again", he told her with his kind smile.

"We all are," Blaise replied, kissing her temple. "Come on, Lane, let's eat." Liana watched them walk hand in hand, laughing, and Draco simply walked behind them, Liana at his side. Oliver followed them quietly, pondering the events of the day.

A/N: Not much has happened here, but next chapter's about the visit to Hogsmeade, and we'll get some action at last. I have a few twists planned.


	7. Strike one

A/N: A new chapter, yay! Now don't go and die from teh shock, eh? Getting the time to write this has been an absolute nightmare. I'm computerless and I have school plus work EVERY weekday and work on Saturdays which is driving me mad. But I'm making an effort.

Oh, Marille Earen and I were in Italy and Greece March 16 through 29, so there was the added delay of the trip and not being able to write. Sorry! But it's long and we think it's good.

**_Bold italics_** are Railane's intros, _italics_ are thoughts, and anything in **bold** is a diary entry.

Chapter six: Strike one

_**The first visit to Hogsmeade will be forever imprinted in my mind as a day that changed many lives. It was my first encounter with Draco's imposing father, though certainly not the last, yet ironically that day was one of the very little times that Dray let his real self out in presence of others. The memories are bittersweet, but it brought us many lessons that we would ultimately need.**_

Railane opened her eyes long before the first rays of dawn filtered into the room. She'd showered and dressed quietly, and she now sat on the windowsill, hands playing idly with her long wavy hair. Pansy woke up and stretched noisily, and Railane jumped off the windowsill and slipped out of the room, clutching her scarf and gloves tightly as she put on her coat.

Looking at her watch and realizing it was still too early to go get Blaise, she sank into an overstuffed chair by the fireplace of the common room, reviving the languid fire absently with her wand. Curling up with a cushion, she closed her eyes with a sigh and dozed off.

Pansy walked into the common room around fifteen minutes after Railane did, and she extracted her wand with a grin, approaching slowly as she prepared to hex her. Before she could utter a spell, a shout of "Expelliarmus!" was heard and Pansy's wand clattered against the floor, rolling away. Railane jumped up at the noise and fixed Pansy with a glare. Pansy stared at the portrait hole and Railane followed her gaze, her eyes with locking with cool gray as she looked at an impeccable yet fierce Draco. She smiled gratefully and his features softened into a smirk.

He walked over to them, giving Pansy a nasty look before standing next to Railane. "Arachnia," he enunciated clearly, hitting Pansy with a powerful spider hex and making her fall to the floor with a terrified shriek as spiders crawled all over her body.

"Finite incantatem," Railane shouted, dropping to her knees beside Pansy, who was sighing in relief as the spiders vanished, and helping her up. Railane muttered "Accio wand" under her breath, and handed the wand to Pansy, who looked shocked at Railane's reaction, without so much as a second glance. While Railane glared at Draco, Pansy slipped out quietly.

"What?" Draco asked in confusion at her glare.

"You are such a git," she exclaimed, fuming, as she smacked her shoulder.

He looked down at her. "Hey, I stood up for you," he replied.

She straightened herself to her full height, which wasn't saying much next to his almost six-foot frame. "I appreciate that, Draco, but I can fight my own battles."

Blaise walked in, hair still dripping from his recent shower. "Sure you can, love, yet you've been hiding from the Slytherin girls for the past week."

"Blaise," she pleaded softly, but Draco had already reacted.

"You mean they've attacked you before?" he asked in outrage.

She shook her head. "It was nothing."

"It wasn't nothing! They've been on your case for a week, you're hiding from them, and you blame me for intervening!"

"Don't raise your voices," Blaise interjected, but they ignored him.

"You didn't have to hex her!"

"Like hell I didn't! Hello, this is Pansy we're talking about, here!"

"Damn it, you are just like her, an insufferable and vengeful idiot!" Said this, she clapped a hand to her mouth, knowing she'd overstepped herself.

This was immediately proven by the iciness that invaded his demeanor. "Well, excuse me for caring, worrying, and rising earlier to walk the length of the castle to be here when you came down!" He turned on his heel and stormed out of the common room. Railane watched him leave, speechless, before sinking into a chair. Blaise placed both his hands on her shoulders in silent reassurance, not knowing what else to do. Those two had a knack for talking first and thinking later, and it was how alike they were that separated them.

* * *

Liana and Harry waited anxiously for their friends near the gates under the watchful eyes of Filch and Mrs. Norris. Hermione was the first to arrive, flushed from her conversation with Ernie. Ron wasn't far behind. Draco walked out the castle on his own, not even Crabbe or Goyle there to flank him, and Pansy was giving him sour looks. Liana hesitated before walking towards him. "Hi, Draco. How's it going?" 

He looked surprised, but recovered with an awkward smile. "Okay. You?"

"Okay as well. Where's Lane?"

"He wouldn't know," Pansy replied from behind Liana. "They had a lover's quarrel."

Liana looked at her in disdain before turning back to Draco. "You fought? Why?"

"She didn't want to be rescued," he replied bitterly. At her questioning look, he elaborated. "Pansy was about to attack Railane when I stopped her."

Liana smiled knowingly. "And?"

Draco looked sheepish. "I might've hexed Pansy and pissed Railane off."

"Mean Draco," Liana replied, grinning.

"Well, he did what your dear friend didn't have the guts to do," Pansy taunted.

Liana took a deep breath. "Come on Draco, let's go. She's not worth it."

He was about to follow when Pansy replied mockingly. "That's right little Gryffindork. Go back to the Mudblood, the Weasel and your beloved Potty."

Liana had half turned when she froze at the words, her left hand clenching into a fist as her right hand swung and the back of her hand slapped Pansy. Pansy gasped, clutching her cheek, before lunging at her retreating back, pulling her hair to hang on. Liana yelped before swinging at Pansy to get her off. Pansy ducked and scratched her arm with her long nails, drawing blood in a spot.

Draco tried to pry them apart as a crowd gathered, some of them chanting "Catfight!" Pansy kicked Draco's calf when he stepped between her and Liana, and he rolled onto the grass, rubbing his leg resentfully. It was then that Railane emerged from the castle, running to see what the commotion was all about. Instead of trying to intervene physically, she pulled out her wand. "Locomotor Pansy," she said, using her wand to move the now levitating Pansy away from Liana. Harry was immediately by Liana's side, helping her up.

Snape stood next to Railane, motioning for her to release Pansy. She carefully placed her on the floor before muttering "Finite incantatem".

"What has happened here?" he asked in a low voice.

"Pansy provoked Richards, who put her in her place, and when Richards turned Pansy attacked her from behind," Draco explained.

"And Miss Lesperance fits in this how?"

"Blaise and I were coming down to meet Draco and I decided to separate these two before it went any further. Liana isn't the violent type so this really surprised me."

Snape gazed at her evenly. "Well, I think detentions are in order. Miss Richards and Miss Parkinson, Monday at 7:30 in the dungeons."

"Liana was provoked!" Railane exclaimed in outrage.

Before Snape could give Railane a detention as well, Blaise intervened. "Pansy also tried to hex a fellow Slytherin this morning, and she would have succeeded had she not been stopped."

Snape paled. If there was one thing he wouldn't tolerate, that was treason in his own house. "Very well," he muttered between clenched teeth. "Miss Richards will have detention only on Monday, whereas Pansy will have all week."

"Fair enough," Blaise replied, turning and steering Railane and Liana away, with Draco and Harry following.

"She annoys the hell out of me," Railane muttered.

"I think she does that on purpose," Draco pointed out quietly.

Railane, simply glad that he was speaking to her again, merely nodded.

* * *

After walking around Hogsmeade for a while and buying a few things, Railane suggested that they go get some refreshment, and they headed towards the Three Broomsticks when she spotted the Hog's Head pub. She had been very curious as to what the pub was like, and reluctantly the others had agreed to walk inside so she could get a look. 

The minute her eyes adjusted to the dim light after walking in, Railane knew that it had been a mistake. Staring at her from the very first table was a man that was clearly Draco's father. The same hair, though longer; same eyes, though icier; and same regal air; though haughtier.

He looked at her dismissively, thinking her just another kid; but when Draco walked inside after her, worried over her delay, his face changed.

Draco froze, eyes narrowing, and he took a step forward, partially shielding Railane from his father's unyielding gaze. Lucius was about to rise to the challenge when Railane placed her hand timidly on Draco's shoulder. He met her imploring eyes and took a step back, preparing to leave, when Harry and Liana burst through the door.

Harry's look turned to one of pure hatred, and the same went for Lucius. Lucius pulled out his wand, ready to strike, but a melodious voice chanted 'Expelliarmus!' before he had time to react. His wand clattered to the floor, and both Railane and Draco drew theirs, turning to the voice's owner.

A tall, pretty young woman with straight light brown hair and brown eyes was pointing her wand at Lucius as she walked towards the four to make sure they were alright. Behind her trailed a shorter woman with bronzed skin and short straight hair, also pointing a wand. The taller woman glared at Lucius before turning to the four. "Are you all okay?"

"Yes, we are," Railane replied, lowering her wand.

"I'm Odette, and that's Irina," the woman told Railane.

Railane looked at Irina, getting a bad feeling about her, then turned to Odette. "I'm Railane and these are Draco, Harry and Liana." Odette smiled at everyone and Irina nodded in acknowledgement.

"Now," she said, turning to Lucius, "I have been watching you for a while to see if you would strike for your dear master, and you just did. Any last words before I take you to the Ministry?"

"I believe the last words will be yours," a woman with a low voice replied. Everyone's eyes turned to her and Draco's eyes widened in recognition. He immediately stepped in front of Railane, shielding her from view as much as he could, and Harry followed suit with Liana. Railane tilted her head from her spot behind Draco to get a better look at the woman.

She was of average height, with short dark hair with red streaks, pale skin and small, slanted eyes. A medallion hung around her neck, and Harry identified it immediately as the Black family crest. She wasn't Bellatrix, for he had fought her the year before, but the resemblance was definitely there even though this woman was younger. Her lips curled slowly into a sardonic mimic of a smile, pointed teeth showing slightly.

Odette pointed her wand at her, as did Harry, but Draco kept his eyes fixed on his father's every move. Irina, however, slipped behind Liana, wand in hand, and muttered a stunning spell directed at Draco. Railane deflected the spell with a quick 'Protego!', and Draco's eyes snapped to Irina's.

"Hmm, treason," the sinister woman commented with delight.

Odette looked at Irina in shock, and the instant Odette lowered her guard, the woman shouted "Petra facere!" and turned Odette into stone. Liana gasped at the sight, and Draco pushed Railane further behind him as Harry did the same with Liana. The woman raised her wand, making Odette's petrified form rise with it, then flicked her wrist sharply, releasing her hold on the stone. As if in slow motion, the stone that contained Odette crashed against the floor, shattering into a thousand glittering pieces.

All eyes were glued to the pieces that now lay scattered across the hardwood floor. The color in the pieces seemed to pulsate, like a heartbeat, then the shine in them ebbed away slowly, leaving only dullness behind and disappearing in shimmering rivers of liquid crystal. Railane shivered. That stone had been Odette, and the iridescent streams had been her blood. Now both were gone, leaving behind a heavy emptiness hung with stony silence. Ironic, indeed.

Draco was still processing Odette's demise when the woman turned her attentions to him. "My, my. Lucius, isn't your darling son an aesthetic prowess? He would do well serving beside me, don't you think?"

"He has chosen to associate himself with the wrong kind of people, Kendrix," he replied coldly, eyeing Railane with distaste. "I'm afraid he might not be up to the task."

"Let's go, Draco," Railane implored softly. "There has been enough violence for one day."

"Oh, sweetheart," the woman now identified as Kendrix replied, "there can never be enough violence for me." She inspected Railane with a critical air. "You were fast. And you're smart. Rather pretty, as well. Shame you had to pick my choice as your little boyfriend."

"I'm not her boyfriend," Draco replied at the same time that Railane exclaimed "He's not my boyfriend!"

Kendrix gasped mockingly. "No? Hmm. Could've fooled me. And you, Lucius?"

His lips curled. "Consider me fooled."

Railane's eyes hardened. "Oh, that's a first," she replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Draco looked at Railane in shock. "And you were telling me to back off," he commented quietly.

She pulled at his arm. "Let it go. We need to get out of here before Blaise and the others come to look for us."

Irina tried to block their escape, but Draco quickly sidestepped her, and she blasted him with a stream of boiling water. The water hit him hard on the throat, and he stumbled backwards, choking, as the water ran over his skin, leaving a blistered trail behind. Railane fell on her knees beside him instantly, and cradled his head before turning violently to look at Irina, hair flailing. She glanced at Irina, livid with rage, before concentrating all her energies on the spell she'd heard before. "Petra facere!"

A steady jet of bright blue light burst from the tip of her wand, and Irina was encased in stone mid-motion. Railane's right arm trembled as her eyes were still glued to Irina's now petrified body, her knuckles white from gripping the wand so hard. Her left arm was still cradling Draco's head, and a slight movement from him made her jerk in surprise and turn back to him. She let her fingertips ghost over his cheekbone softly, and his eyelids fluttered.

He looked up at her, long hair half-obscuring a face flushed with rage, with dark eyes shining with both resent and caring, a combination he never would've believed possible. He smiled at her wanly, eyes glittering like gray jewels, before pulling himself upright so as to sit next to her. "Let's go."

She rose and helped her rise, and when they were both upright and had a shocked Liana and Harry standing next to them, Kendrix clapped slowly. "I didn't think you had it in you, kid. Brownie points to you."

Lucius' cold glare penetrated her defenses, sending a chill right through her heart. "You'll regret crossing me," he warned lowly at Draco and Railane before Disapparating. Kendrix bowed slightly at them before following suit, and Railane shuddered once they were done. Draco held her close to him, as if expecting them to strike again, before joining Liana and Harry in their path outside. The four left silently, ignoring Ron, Hermione and Blaise's questions about their delay and Draco's skin, all seven unaware of the icy red-eyed stare that followed them.

A/N: So this is it. I rather like this chapter, but it's up to you to tell me if you like it as well. Also, any suggestions are appreciated so please go ahead and review.


	8. The art of words

A/N: Sorry it took so long! I had to get some minor oral surgery, but I'm fine now. It actually got me to finally sit down and finish since I began writing this chapter after hashing out ideas with Marille Earen at a café; ideas that have now led to the planning of a fun, forum-y, funny fic titled "What if…?" We still haven't sat down to write it, but the planning spurred me into a writing frenzy by getting the HP creative juices flowing again.

This chapter goes out to CompleteGeek. I love you so much! Not just for your awesome fic (**But, he's mine**- it's teh awesomeness, check it out!) but also because you reviewed me. It meant the world to me to get those reviews. And don't worry, the slash is coming soon. There's a lot of twists to go in this story, trust me. Thanks, again! And the name is pronounced Rah-e-lah-neh. It's the Spanish literal pronunciation. :-P

Chapter seven: The art of words

_**That day in Hogsmeade will forever be imprinted in my mind. I surprised myself when I attacked Irina, and it put a lot of things into perspective for me. That day also created a chain reaction that revealed a lot of things, and the repercussions followed all of us for a very long time. Thankfully, not everything was negativity.**_

Railane tapped her foot against the floor impatiently. Madam Pomfrey had been fawning over Draco's burns for the past fifteen minutes after kicking Railane out of the infirmary. On the couch across from her chair, Liana and Harry, bored from Hermione's incessant Ernie-talk, had decided to join Blaise and Ron in a game of wizards' chess.

Liana partnered with Ron so he would teach her while Blaise and Harry discussed a strategy. Which, incidentally, meant that Hermione was free to attack Railane with the tales of her almost-date with Ernie. Railane shuddered inwardly. Even his name was, well, icky. Then again, Hermione was just weird. Such a smart girl, yet some obvious things, such as Ron's love for her, simply eluded her.

Ron and Harry, after a few moves, excused themselves for a few minutes, leaving Liana and Blaise in a game she was doomed to lose. Blaise was just too good a player for his own good, and novice Liana could not contend with his expertise. He tried to go easy on her, but by the time Harry and Ron had returned, Blaise had won. Liana pouted at Blaise, who winked before turning the board so Liana would have the winning side.

"Awesome," she commented, and they all burst into laughter.

The door to the infirmary opened and a curtain being drawn back could be heard in the background. Madam Pomfrey stepped out with a tired smile. "Mr. Malfoy will be alright after some well-deserved rest. He is not supposed to receive visitors since he will be sedated soon, but he has requested to see all of you and he wishes to talk to Mr. Zabini and Miss Lesperance."

Everyone rose and walked into the infirmary, standing around Draco's bed. His throat was bandaged and his normally flawless alabaster skin was reddened and blemished. Still, he looked better than he had before, and he managed to smile when Railane brushed a lock of platinum blonde hair off his forehead.

"We're glad you're ok," Blaise commented, and there was a general murmur of assent.

"Well, Madam Pomfrey fixed me up pretty good," he replied.

"I talked to Professor Dumbledore," Railane began hesitantly. "I'm not proud of what I did to Irina, but he understood. And we think that it's reversible."

He looked into her eyes. "I'm glad," he commented quietly. "You were worried."

She nodded softly, her eyes never leaving his. "Yeah, I was."

"So what were you doing while I was being treated?"

"I was beating Blaise at wizard's chess," Liana replied grinning, and everyone burst into laughter as Draco shot Railane a look.

"Ron tried to coach Liana but the minute he and Harry stepped back, Blaise beat her. She pouted and Blaise turned the board so she'd have the winning side."

"Which was the cutest thing," Liana pointed out, giving Blaise a kiss on the cheek. "Also, where were you two?" she asked Harry and Ron.

Harry grinned at Draco. "Well, Ron had an idea that maybe since you're going to be here and bored for a while, we'd bring you one of those video games that Hermione modified," he explained, handinghim one of the games.

"That was a very nice thing to do," Draco commented quietly. Railane and Liana exchanged smiles as Hermione looked at Ron with respect. After a few minutes of idle chat, Hermione, Ron and Harry excused themselves. With a last look at Railane and Blaise. Liana excused herself as well and the four departed.

Railane broke the silence as soon as they were alone. "What did you want to talk to us about?"

Draco sighed. "Sit." When they had, he continued. "You two know you're about the only people close to me right now, right?" They nodded. "I can't tell you everything that's going on. All I can say is that it wasn't a coincidence that Kendrix was there with my father. Something big must be going on for Kendrix to be coming out in the open like that."

"But who is she?" Railane asked him.

"She's my cousin," he replied quietly. "Her mother Bellatrix tried to kill Harry's godfather Sirius last year and the curse rebounded upon her. She wasn't Kendrix's favorite person in the world, but she's upholding the family honor by trying to off Harry."

"Of course. Another one wants Harry to bite the dust. Bonus points for the fact that if Lucius helps her he looks like less of a traitor in front of his Master," Railane commented bitterly.

"Yeah," Draco agreed reluctantly. His father's motives really weren't a secret to anyone. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that you're targets now. I defied Kendrix, and she'll go after those close to me to try and get me back to her. She knows about Blaise, and now she's seen you, Railane. She'll go after you."

"I know. But I'm not afraid of her."

Draco sighed. He'd suspected as much. "Just be careful, alright? And let me know about anything."

"I will, now relax," she replied, managing a smile.

Madam Pomfrey entered the room. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Mr. Malfoy needs to drink his potion and get some rest."

Blaise smiled at Draco and rose. "We'll be back later, mate."

Railane squeezed Draco's hand and rose as well. "Get better soon," she whispered.

Blaise held the door open for Railane and followed her out into the hallway. "I'm worried about you, Lane. According to Harry, Kendrix seems pretty bent on getting Draco for herself, and she sees you as an opponent. Even Draco's warning you."

"I can handle myself Blaise. Besides, I have a boyfriend to keep an eye on me."

He saw her mischievous smiled and grinned, shaking his head. Then he jumped forward and gave her a big hug. "You're the best, Lane."

She hugged him back. "I think I'm going to go for a walk. Go visit the giant squid or something. I'll see you later."

"Fine, but don't be alone for too long."

She smiled. "I won't be." She walked out of the castle, settling by the oak that she'd already become so familiar with, and leaned her head against the trunk with a sigh. She needed time to think.

* * *

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Liana had returned to the common room after leaving the infirmary, and now they sat quietly at one of the tables, neither of the four knowing how to begin. Finally, Harry spoke. "So what, we're just going to sit here in silence forever?" 

"No," Hermione replied. "I'm just still shocked that Railane would do stoop as low as to petrify someone with a dark spell."

"Well, she is in Slytherin," Ron replied. "Aren't they inclined to the Dark Arts?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, but I dunno. She just didn't seem like the type before."

"I'm shocked, too," Liana commented. "I wasn't expecting that."

Hermione frowned. "Well you've known her for longer than any of us, so perhaps she's surprised herself."

The portrait swung open, stopping Liana from replying, and Oliver climbed through the portrait hole, a roll of parchment, a quill and a bottle of ink in his hands. He looked surprised to find them there. "Hello."

"Hello, Professor Wood," Hermione greeted.

"Now come on, you've known me forever! No need to call me professor. Now, I'd thought that the common room would be empty at this hour.It's rather early to be back from Hogsmeade. Is everything alright? "

"Why would you want to be in the common room when it's empty?" Harry asked.

"You're evading my question," Oliver pointed out. "And I wanted to get some piece and quiet so I could write."

"Write?" Liana asked with interest.

"I wrote a small piece for Quidditch Quarterly a few weeks ago, and they're interested on me writing another article for them. I thought I'd come here and stir some memories before getting to writing."

"Oh. Sounds lovely. Maybe Railane could help. She's good with words."

"I'll keep that in mind. So, are you guys going to answer my question?"

They exchanged glances, and Hermione spoke. "Well, since Professor Dumbledore is likely to inform the staff soon, I don't think it'll do any harm. You see, Liana, Harry, Draco and Railane happened to run into Lucius Malfoy and some others in Hogsmeade and the encounter ended in the death of an Auror and the petrifying of another one who betrayed the first."

Oliver exhaled sharply. "And are you all okay?"

"Liana and I are fine, and Draco's in the infirmary because he was hit with some boiling water and Railane was with him last time we saw them," Harry replied.

"I'll go down and see how Mr. Malfoy and Railane are doing," Oliver said distractedly, turning around and walking out as abruptly as he'd walked in. The foursome looked at each other in question and shrugged, but Liana frowned when the others weren't looking. She didn't want to think what she was thinking.

* * *

Railane had been sitting by the oak for almost an hour when she heard a rustle behind her. She turned suddenly to find Oliver inching towards her slowly. "Hello," he greeted rather sheepishly. 

She smiled halfheartedly. "Hello."

He pointed to a space next to her. "May I?"

She nodded. "Of course."

He sat next to her, gripping the roll of parchment he carried tightly. "I just heard from the others what happened. Are you alright?"

"How much did you hear?"

Oliver frowned. "That you, Harry, Liana and Draco met Lucius Malfoy and some others in Hogsmeade, an Auror died and another one was a traitor and got petrified. That's about it."

"I did it," she commented quietly, and his frowned deepened.

"Did what?"

"I petrified the Auror, Irina, with the same spell that killed Odette. Or rather, petrifiedOdette so Kendrix could smash her into pieces."

"Why did you?"

"She betrayed Odette, her own partner, and then attacked Draco to try to keep us from escaping, so Lucius and Kendrix could attack us as well. I was so furious, and Odette had been so nice to us…" she wringed her hands helplessly, "I just lost it." Oliver was at loss for words, so he simply placed his hand over hers in an attempt to console her, but she flinched at his touch. "It was Dark Magic," she said quietly. "I don't know what came over me, I just did it. I could've used a thousand other spells but I used that one…" She broke off, shacking and reliving the image in her mind.

Oliver dropped his things beside him and pulled her to him. "You're not going to turn evil because you used the Dark Arts once. You were trying to protect your friends, and yourself, and trying to serve justice for what was done to that Auror. You just went the wrong way about it, is all. Just try to control yourself better next time."

She pulled away from him, composing herself, and looked at him in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I had no right to just unload on you like that. I'm just a bit shaken."

"It's fine. I did ask."

She smiled. "Thank you. I couldn't tell the others that, they wouldn't understand. And I don't want them getting worried about me."

"Don't worry about it. Consider me your new counselor."

She chuckled, grinning. "Don't make offers you can't keep, Mr. Wood."

"Oh, I can keep them. Try me."

She looked at him seriously. "I might. You've been a great help. I feel a lot better now."

"I'm very pleased. Now, could I ask you to do something for me?"

"There had to be catch, huh?"

He smiled sheepishly. "You see, I have to write this article for Quidditch Quarterly, and it's due next week, and I don't know who I could ask to proof it. Liana says you're good with words so I was wondering if you could help me."

Her expression brightened. "Of course! I love writing! Have you written anything yet?"

"No, not really. But I have a lot of ideas."

"Let's get to it then."

They began discussing some of their ideas for the article, and Railane found herself smiling. He was a very nice guy, and she had someone she could talk to and trust no matter what. Regardless of all the things that had gone wrong during the day, discovering what a good friend she had in Oliver made it all seem a little less hurtful.

* * *

Kendrix walked into the spacious hall with her head held high, smiling venomously at those who looked at her. Wormtail himself walked back, cowering, and Kendrix rolled her eyes. Such an unworthy servant for her master. Tapping the far wall with her wand four times, she received access to the room. Entering slowly, she knelt in front of her master's chair, awaiting his command. 

A pale hand reached out and lifted her chin so she would look at him. "My darling child," he hissed. "I have heard of what happened today. I want to know if you have managed to restore Irina."

"I have," she replied. "She is now recovering."

"She was a valuable asset, but now that she has shown herself we'll need a new Auror to work with."

"I'll see to it, master," Kendrix assured him.

"Good. Now, tell me more about the girl who petrified her."

"She was strong of will, my master, and managed to use the Dark Arts very powerfully. It took hours for me and Lucius to restore Irina. She had a lot of rage. And young Draco seems to be rather attached to her."

He noticed the tone in her voice. "That's not all bad, Kendrix. Perhaps their attachment can help us. I have a plan for her."

Kendrix inwardly disagreed, but refrained from commenting on it. He wouldn't like it. "What if she doesn't join us, master?"

"Then you can dispose of her, Kendrix, and have him for yourself."

Her lips curled into a sardonic smile. "I'll get to play cat and mouse! Perfect."

"I knew that would delight you. Now, to more urgent matters. What exactly happened with the Potter boy?"

"Harry was with this girl, a girl none of us had seen before, and she seems to be friends with the girl who was with Draco."

"We must know more. I will ask Crabbe and Goyle to get their children on it. You may go now, my dear, and keep an eye on Irina. I will contact you when I knew more about these girls and when my plans for young Malfoy are prepared. Be ready, Kendrix, for I have a new mission for you, and when it is time you must come immediately."

"Yes, my master," she replied, bowing low, then she Disapparated. Arriving at the cabin where Irina now lay unconscious, she grit her teeth. If Voldemort wanted to play around with Draco and his little friend, it was his game. But she didn't like being a pawn. And as much as she had to thank him for all the power he'd given her, she wasn't about to let him ruin her plans. Sighing, she turned to find Lucius watching her.

"How did the Master take it?"

"Very well. He is interested in the girls and will have the Crabbe and Goyle boys check up on them."

"And Draco?"

"He says he is preparing a plan to bring him over to us, and the girl seemed to interest him"

Lucius chuckled humorlessly. "Well she intrigued me, too. Especially because he never told me about her. And in she comes, like she owns the place, and she seemed to recognize me immediately."

"You look like Draco."

"True."

"She was rather pretty, though, wasn't she?"

"Well, she was a bit dumpier than I would've imagined someone he liked, but she had a pretty face. Her eyes, especially."

"I liked her hair," Kendrix admitted reluctantly. "Long and dark."

"Whether she was pretty or not really isn't the point right now. She seemed strong, determined, and I appreciated that she defended Draco so passionately."

"She did, didn't she? I have to admit it was impressive, the way she took charge. Perhaps we could talk both of them into joining us."

Lucius looked at her suspiciously. "Didn't you want her out of the way to conquer Draco?"

She shrugged. "Someone so independent won't be with him for very long. Besides, I'll be around to keep her in check. She seems ambitious and I could manipulate her easily. She doesn't worry me at all."

"Perhaps not. Speaking of manipulating, the girl that was with Potter could be used to our advantage."

"The master already spoke of it," she commented dismissively. "We'll just have to wait and see."

Lucius walked over to her, looking out the same window she was looking out of. "Yes. We must wait. Our time approaches."

A/N: Yes, I just cut it off there. But it's 1:00 AM, my meds are wearing off (meaning I'm not hyper anymore), and I've been writing for two hours straight. I need a break. But I've got next chapter planned out and I've already started it. Now, I'm going to get some sleep. Leave me a review or a cookie for my efforts, will you?


	9. Holiday plans

A/N: After reading Book 6, I have decided that this will remain an AU and that I WILL NOT conform this to the current canon. For those of you who have already read Book 6, only the details of Apparition and maybe a detail or two from the book will be added to this, but they will be VERY minor. And Blaise will keep looking like I chose him to look before.

**_Bold italics_** are Railane's intros, _italics_ are thoughts, and anything in **bold** is a diary entry.

Chapter eight: Holiday plans

**_What happened in Hogsmeade quickly became the utmost matter of speculation amongst our classmates, since we weren't allowed to discuss all the events and could only give people a vague idea of what had actually gone down. The most difficult part was simply trying to conceal what had happened with the Aurors, especially for me. But thankfully everyone had something else to talk about soon._**

The week after the events in Hogsmeade, the Great Hall was filled with excited whispers of questions and plans. The notice had been posted in every common room, and it seemed that everyone had forgotten everything else that had been happening to concentrate only on the upcoming event. Railane was glad of it, because it meant that the talk of what happened at the Hog's Head had been exchanged for the more exciting topic.

Blaise leaned over the table to pour her some tea and frowned at Pansy when he settled back into his seat. "Do you really think she's going to ask Draco?"

Railane shot him a look. "Are your eyes blue?"

He looked at her with a sheepish smile. "Right."

The Great Hall doors opened with a clang and in walked Harry and Draco. Harry walked over to Liana and the others and Draco sat next to Blaise. Pansy and her gang looked at Draco and giggled, making him turn to Railane and Blaise in question. "Pansy thinks you'll go with her," Railane explained as she helped herself to more buttered toast.

"She thinks I'll go with her where?" he asked her, still confused.

"To the dance, of course," she replied. Seeing his blank look, she sighed in exasperation. "The Christmas Ball? You know, the one from the notice that's posted pretty much everywhere around here?"

"I didn't see it. I'm living away from society now, remember?"

Railane nodded. "Right, sorry. The Christmas Ball will happen the day before we leave for the holidays, which incredibly is just next week, and we're supposed to go with someone from another house to promote inter-house unity and whatnot. Blaise and I haven't discovered who we're asking to the dance yet."

Blaise nodded mournfully. "It's horrible, really, the fact that I can't take my girlfriend to the dance."

"You could take Seamus," Railane offered quietly. Blaise smacked her softly and Draco looked at her seriously.

"I think I'll take Richards to the dance."

Railane looked up at him in surprise before calming herself. "That'd be nice of you." Blaise smiled knowingly and Railane looked back at her breakfast in silence. "I don't think I'll go. I don't like dances much, anyway."

"You could go with Harry," Blaise suggested.

"He'll probably ask Cho Chang to the ball, now that Diggory's not around anymore," Draco pointed out.

"See?" Railane pointed out. "I'm just going to skip this mad thing altogether."

Blaise looked over at the Gryffindor table, and at a certain Irish person, before grinning at his breakfast plate. "Maybe we'll both end up going with unexpected people."

"Or maybe some of us won't go at all."

"Heavens, Lane, you're so bloody stubborn," Blaise commented and she actually smiled at him.

"I'm accustomed to getting my way." The trio laughed, earning sour looks from most of the Slytherin table, but not caring. Their laughter was interrupted by the arrival of owl post, which brought Railane a letter from her mother. Blaise looked at her curiously, and smiled when her face lit up. "Mother says we're going to go to the Caribbean this Christmas!"

Blaise smiled even wider, happy for her. He knew how much she wished to have time to spend with her busy mother, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity for her to do so. He placed his hand over hers, getting her to look at him. "I'm really glad, Lane. It seems like you're going to have a fabulous holiday."

Crabbe and Goyle had also gotten mail, and Draco frowned, recognizing the owls. "Their parents are writing them? Shocker."

Railane mirrored Draco's expression unwittingly. "I have a sinking feeling that it might be related to our little Hogsmeade incident."

"I hope not. It's enough that they're thinking about banning more Hogsmeade visits," Draco commented darkly, and both Railane and Blaise agreed.

* * *

Liana sighed as she drank her juice. When she'd first heard about the ball, she thought it was her chance, but sadly they had to go with someone from another house. She had no idea who Railane would go with, since she couldn't go with Draco or Blaise. She looked at Harry and Ron and decided to find out who they'd go with. "Who are you guys asking to the dance?" she questioned innocently.

"Dunno," Ron commented, turning a bit pink. "I don't know many people outside of you lot."

She turned to Harry, who shrugged. "I think I'm going to ask Cho."

Hermione and Ron looked at him in shock as Liana looked lost. "Why is that so shocking?"

"Well he'd acted like he didn't want anything to do with her last year, so," Ron told Liana with a shrug.

"I just think we should try again," Harry replied defensively. "Besides, it's not like there's anyone else for me to ask."

"You could ask Luna," Ginny suggested as she scooted closer to them. "Very little people are nice to her. Or Ron could if you still want to ask Cho."

"Who would you go with?" Liana asked her.

Ginny turned red. "I'd actually like to go with Blaise, but since he's dating Railane and all I don't think that'll work."

"Someone's bound to ask you," Liana commented. "Besides, Blaise and Railane can't go together anyway."

Everyone remained silent for a few minutes and Hermione sighed in exasperation. "Well, isn't anyone going to ask me who I'm going with?"

Liana shot her look. "How about no?"

"Why ever not?"

"'Cause the entire castle knows who you're going with, Hermione: the fabulous Macmillan," Ron replied irritably.

Liana and Ginny snickered, exchanging identical looks, as Harry smiled into his glass, trying not to laugh. People began to wander from table to table, asking people to the dance, and both Blaise and Draco walked to the Gryffindor table. Harry and Ron had already left towards the Ravenclaw table. Draco cleared his throat, looking at Liana with a regal air. "So, Liana, do you have a date yet?" Liana shook her head, still in shock, and Draco continued. "Would you go with me?"

She looked past Draco at Railane, who nodded at her with a wan smile, before looking back at Draco. "All right, then." Draco smirked and turned to Blaise, who was fiddling with his collar.

Liana smiled. "Come on, Blaise. Who are you going to ask?"

He smiled back, his nervousness temporarily displaced. "I was hoping that, since Ginny and I haven't had a chance to get to know each other yet, she would go with me." He turned to Ginny. "So, will you?" Ginny blushed, nodding, and Blaise winked at her. "Perfect. Now let's go see if anyone's asked Lane yet." Both boys turned to the Slytherin table, walking over there, and as soon as they were out of earshot Ginny squealed. Liana grinned at her, shaking her head. Blaise was getting himself in a bit of a fix.

A few minutes later Ron and Harry replied, both with smiles on their faces. Hermione, who they hadn't noticed had left, returned too, looking very pleased with herself. In a quiet agreement no one mentioned their dates, so Hermione couldn't talk about hers. A few silent minutes later the bell rang, and they all filed towards their classes.

* * *

Railane doodled on her parchment absentmindedly, writing her name over and over as Professor Binns continued talking about the wizarding bans in a monotone voice. She knew it was important information, but just then she didn't really care. Both Draco and Blaise had dates, and no one had asked her. She hadn't been expecting anyone to ask her, but she'd thought that maybe it would happen. Problem was, being a Slytherin made her unapproachable, and no one from another house would ask her. Since she couldn't go with a Slytherin, and the only two she would like to go with were taken anyway, chances were that if she did go it would be a very long night.

To her left she could see Draco with his head bent, reading a book intently, and she allowed herself to look at him like she didn't get a chance to very often. His whitish blond hair almost reached his chin, and was perfectly straight. The length of his hair made his high cheekbones stand out even more, and added to the overall delicateness of his features. His almond shaped eyes held the entire spectrum of gray, and the long, almost invisible lashes, gave him an innocent aura, which she knew was far from true. There was a lot more to him than anyone could see, and, ever the detective, she fully intended to find out what it was.

She was brought out of her contemplations by a piece of parchment fluttering around her. She plucked it from the air with an air of annoyance and opened it to find a note from Blaise. 'You're staring,' it read simply, and she shook her head, writing back. 'No, I'm not.' She threw it to Blaise and instants later the parchment had returned to her. She opened it impatiently to read his reply. 'Whatever, love. I call it like I see it.' She turned back to him to continue the argument, but saw that he was decidedly ignoring her and sighed. Entertainment was over, and now she had to go back to trying to focus on Binns.

Crabbe used the opportunity of Blaise ignoring Railane to began talking to him. "Hey, Zabini." Blaise turned his slanted blue eyes towards him to show he was listening. "Goyle and I are curious about Lesperance. She's a pureblood, right?"

"Yeah, her parents are Aurors," he replied absently.

"And that friend of hers, the Gryffindor," Crabbe continued, "what's her name? Is she a pureblood, too?"

"Liana Richards, and she's a half-blood." His eyes suddenly narrowed. "Why?"

It was Goyle who replied. "They're interesting, that's all. Haven't had a good chance to speak to either of them."

"Uh huh," Blaise replied disbelievingly, turning his back on them as he rolled his eyes. Railane was running her hands through her hair, a decidedly thoughtful gesture, and as the bell rang he ran to catch up to her.

* * *

Liana and Harry exchanged bored glances as Ron snoozed over his opened Divination book. Professor Trelawney had been having a very long conversation with Parvati and Lavender about how their fates read that they would lead very successful marriages with famous and powerful people, while Firenze looked at her silently, his face expressionless as his eyes shone with amusement. Seamus and Dean were playing idly with their books, and Neville was staring off into space as he turned his Remembrall in his hands.

Harry tapped his book with his wand, trying to animate a doodle he'd made in the corner of a page, and Liana looked over his shoulder when he tapped the book too hard and sparks flew out of his wand. Professor Trelawney immediately ambled towards their table, and Liana elbowed Ron before switching her book with Harry's. Her carefully placed hand covered Harry's drawing, and when Professor Trelawney fixed her bespectacled eyes on him and his book, there was nothing incriminating there. She looked at Liana suspiciously, but Liana simply smiled at her. The Professor gave Ron, who looked disheveled and drowsy, one last disgruntled look before returning to her conversation with Lavender and Parvati.

Harry turned to Liana. "Thanks."

"No problems," she replied with a shrug.

Ron grinned at them before returning to his sleeping spot, and Harry and Liana exchanged glances, rolling their eyes.

* * *

After lunch, both Slytherins and Gryffindors filed in for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Railane entered the room holding Blaise's hand, and they sat down quietly, her hand remaining nestled in his. He wanted desperately to ask what was wrong, but her stance told her to not press the matter, so he simply squeezed her hand in silent reassurance before letting go to pull out his textbook. Railane smiled gratefully at him before pulling out her own book and turning to look at Tonks.

"Alright, so last class we were working on Patronus charms. I want those of you who didn't succeed up here to try again."

As people took their turns, Railane brought out a roll of parchment and began jotting down some thoughts as she waited for the lesson to continue. When everyone had finished, Tonks called for their attention again. "We will now try to do a simple impediment jinx without speaking. It is essential that you all learn to do as much unspoken magic as possible. So, who wants to go first?" Both Hermione and Railane lifted their hands simultaneously, and Tonks smiled, motioning for both of them to come forward. "Railane, you will attempt to use the impediment jinx on Hermione as she walks over to you." Railane nodded her understanding, and Hermione had only taken three steps forward when she was forced to stop. Railane's look was haughty, and Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Very good," Tonks praised. She waved her wand, letting Hermione move again. "Your turn, Hermione." Railane began walking towards her and was halfway there when Hermione finally managed to make her stop. Tonks waved her wand, congratulating them both, and motioned for them to return to their seats. Railane sat next to Blaise again and Hermione sat next to Ron, throwing Railane a very dirty look. Railane simply raised an eyebrow at her before rolling her eyes.

Blaise raised his hand. "Could I go next?"

Tonks nodded. "Alright, Blaise and, um, Ron, you're up."

Both walked to the front, and while Blaise managed to stop Ron instants before he reached him, he had already walked over to Ron and taken a few steps back before Ron could manage to stop him. Tonks sent them to their seats and motioned for Harry and Draco, who had been waiting, to try. Draco managed immediately, and was halfway to Harry's side when Harry finally stopped him. Draco smiled lightly at Harry before returning to his seat, and Harry's gaze remained on him until Liana moved up to the front.

She had to go up against Millicent Bulstrode, and Millicent was halfway when Liana stopped her. It took Millicent a lot more than that, and Liana had already taken two steps back when she managed to stop her. Liana had the sinking suspicion that Millicent had whispered the jinx, but she returned to her seat quietly, since Millicent looked like she was more than capable of kicking her ass. She and Railane exchanged amused glances before continuing to jot down ideas for the holidays.

* * *

Lucius Malfoy untied the replies from the owls quickly, unrolling the small parchments. Before he could read, Kendrix entered the room. "They've replied already?" she asked disinterestedly. 

"They are very loyal," Lucius replied. "Their sons replied as soon as they could and they forwarded the answers immediately."

"Let's hear it, then," she prompted in a bored voice even though her lips were curling into a malicious smile.

"The one who was with Potter is Liana Richards. A half-blood from Gryffindor. How fitting."

"We need details about her magical blood," Kendrix retorted coldly. "Make sure to get Severus on it. What about the other? The one who was with Draco?"

"Railane Lesperance, pureblood. I know of her parents… she comes from a good family…"

Kendrix laughed coldly. "I hope you're not growing fond of the girl, Lucius. Her parents are Aurors and she's likely to become one as well."

"Perhaps. But she's a Slytherin. There is still hope for her." Kendrix shot Lucius a dark look, but he remained oblivious to it as he continued his contemplations.

A/N: So this is it for now. I'll be going on a trip soon so it'll be at least a week until the next chapter. But I have a large part of it already written so as soon as I have Internet access I should be posting, since I'm trying to finish it before I go or when I return.


	10. A night of wonder

A/N: Schoolwork officially sucks. I haven't had much time to breathe between schoolwork and preparing for Puerto Rico's equivalent of the SAT, which I'm taking October 15. To say nothing of the SAT itself, which I have programmed for January or February. Still, I have managed to scrape together some time to finally put this bloody chapter down. A few of my favorite parts of the story are coming soon, so I'm really excited to finally have some time to put into this. Hope you all enjoy.

**_Bold italics_** are Railane's intros, _italics_ are thoughts, and anything in **bold** is a diary entry.

Chapter nine: A night of wonder

_**The days leading to the Christmas Ball were not very memorable, mostly because the buzz over the ball got really boring by the time the ball actually arrived. Since it was the night before we left for the Christmas holidays, I'd already packed my bags when my mother pulled one of her usual tricks. At the time, I was so mad at her, but now that I've had a chance to look back I realize that there was a reason for it to happen. I just didn't know it yet.**_

Railane walked into the Great Hall with a grin, excited over the prospect of going on vacation with her mother and over the Christmas Ball. Even though she didn't have a date, she'd helped Liana pick out her clothes and jewelry and was dropping by the Gryffindor dorm to do her hair and makeup. They'd promised to each other that they would have a blast together no matter what happened, and Railane planned to uphold her part of the deal.

Taking her seat, she realized that Blaise and Draco were both silently staring at something on the table, and she followed their gaze. There, staring up at her, was a new letter from her mother. Picking it up with a sigh, she read it quickly before tearing it up. Draco stared at her quietly and Blaise simply shook his head. "She pulling one of hers?"

Railane nodded heavily. "As per usual. Says that she and Da are going to treat this as another honeymoon, so I can't go. Damn it. I'd already packed my bags."

Draco simply stared at them. "So you'll be staying here for the holidays?"

"Apparently. I'll have to talk to Professor Snape."

"You could come with me," Blaise offered, but Railane shook her head.

"I'd rather have some time to myself, you know? Time to think and maybe do something remotely productive."

"You sure?" Draco asked, frowning.

She nodded, rising. "Yeah, I'm sure. Now let me go and tell Liana that the Caribbean souvenirs will not be arriving." She walked over to the Gryffindor table, and Liana immediately scooted over to give her a space. Sitting down, she sighed. "I'm not going to the Caribbean with mother after all."

"You going somewhere else?" Harry asked.

"That was naïve," Liana replied with a grin. "Her mother has a knack for canceling on her at the last minute."

"Oh, that's terrible," Ron replied sympathetically.

Hermione nodded. "Horrible. You'll be staying to catch up on your studying, I suppose."

Liana rolled her eyes and both Harry and Ron shook their heads. "She's going with us," Ron declared. "Mum won't mind."

"Agreed," Harry added. "There is no way that you're staying here alone for the holidays."

"I need time to think, so I'll stay here."

Liana glared at her. "Lane!"

"I'm serious. I'm staying. And I'm not hearing another word about it. But thanks anyway, Ron and Harry. I appreciate the thoughtfulness. Now, I must depart. I have to speak to Professor Snape about staying for the holidays."

"She's going to talk to Snape?" Ron asked, mouth full of porridge.

"Obviously," Liana replied, wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "He's her Head of House, remember?"

His ears turned pink. "Right. I keep forgetting that. She's not very Slytherin."

"You're stereotyping," Hermione chided absently, and Liana shot her a dark look as both boys rolled their eyes.

* * *

After a short day of class, everyone filed back to their rooms to get ready. Railane changed into her dress robes quickly, and sat on the bed, brushing out the brown waves of her hair idly as she killed time. She pulled some of her hair up, pinning it back with a barrette before commencing her makeup. All of the others were chatting and being rather loud, but Railane simply ignored them and finished getting ready. Packing some of her makeup, she slipped out the door and headed to Liana's room.

She was about to begin doing Liana's hair and makeup when she realized that Liana was staring at her. "What?"

Liana grinned. "You look brilliant."

"I-what?" she looked down at herself. "No, I don't. I look… normal."

"No, you don't," she replied, sitting down and pointing to herself. "Now see if you can make me look like that."

"Funny," Railane replied, beginning to comb Liana's hair.

"I'm not kidding. Get to work."

Railane grinned, beginning to straighten sections of Liana's hair quickly. "I've become your stylist, haven't I?"

She nodded, opening a magazine. "Forever and ever, love. Forever and ever." When her hair was completely straight, she examined herself in a mirror and nodded to Railane. "Perfect. Jewelry is done, so all we're missing is makeup, right?"

She inspected said jewelry before nodding. "Yep." She swiped two shades of orange eye shadow and one of yellow on Liana's lids, blending thoroughly with a brush. Then she drew a perfectly straight line in black liquid liner and handed Liana the mascara. "You do that while I look for proper blush." Once she had finished and handed the mascara back to her, she brushed apricot blush on the apples of her cheeks and swiped some coral lipstick on her lips and handed Liana a sparkly golden gloss. "Put that over the lipstick. When you reapply, it'll be just the gloss."

"Aye, aye, captain," Liana replied good-naturedly, swiping the gloss over the lipstick obediently.

"You should go," Railane told her without looking up. "Draco doesn't like having to wait."

"I know, I know. We'll be right down."

"You go ahead. I'll retouch my makeup, give myself a breather, and meet you down there."

Liana raised an eyebrow. "You sure you'll go down there?"

"I promise. Now go on."

Liana nodded reluctantly, checking herself in the mirror for the last time before walking out. Railane watched her before sitting down on the bed. Looking at the floor, she hugged herself and let the tears run down her face silently.

* * *

Liana found Draco waiting for her outside of the Gryffindor tower, dressed in silvery-gray dress robes. He looked very much like the aristocrat he was, yet he offered his arm to her with something akin to kindness. She accepted it with a smile, and they headed towards the Great Hall quietly. They each pushed one of the door open and walked inside. Everyone looked at them, mostly in surprise, and, in the Slytherin's case, distaste.

Blaise walked over to them immediately, smiling in his navy robes, Ginny in tow. "Hello. Where's Railane?"

"Up in my room. She should be down here in a bit," Liana replied.

"Good. Now, let's dance."

Liana looked at him in panic. "I don't know about that."

"Don't worry, Richards," Draco assured her with a slow grin. "This is an easy song, and I'll lead." She looked doubtful, but let him lead her to the floor. They whirled slowly, in time with the music, and Liana let herself relax and enjoy the moment. Blaise twirled with Ginny nearby, and they could see Hermione and Ernie in a corner, conversing. She let her eyes roam around the room, taking in the sight of the glimmering flower arrangements, the ice sculptures, and the colored lights.

She was still dancing with Draco when Railane walked into the Great Hall. Everyone turned to look at her, Draco included. She looked very pretty and relaxed in her dark purple dress robes with royal purple accents. She'd altered the robes, and the neckline was a wide V descending from her shoulders. A purple pendant hung around her neck in a delicate silver chain, and the cut of the robes was accented by the wavy hair that draped around her shoulders. She looked uncomfortable at the stares, but still she walked in mustering as much confidence as she possibly could, smiling fleetingly at Draco and Liana before sitting in a corner.

She looked around, letting her eyes wander over the myriad of colors that surrounded her. Everyone looked so different without the black robes of their uniforms; she felt like it was the first time she'd looked at a lot of people. Draco, absolutely elegant in his silvery gray robes, and Liana looked very relaxed and pretty in her robes that shimmered in different shades of orange when the light hit it. Pansy lurked nearby in impossibly pink robes that made Railane's eyes water, Parvati and Padma Patil looked stunning in bright-colored robes that contrasted against their cinnamon skin, and Lavender looked very pretty in yellow-green robes as she made eyes at Ron, whose cerulean robes accented his red locks.

She was anxiously counting the time until she could exit and tell Liana that she'd been there for a while when a tender and gentle hand was placed on her shoulder. She turned in surprise to find a smiling Oliver leaning towards her. "Hello, Miss Lesperance. May I join you?" he asked politely, motioning towards the chair next to her.

"Of course," she replied, still surprised at his sudden appearance. As he moved over to the chair, she let her eyes roam over his elegant form. He was dressed in dark red robes that contrasted beautifully with his complexion, and his dark eyes shone brightly as he smiled at her, noticing her eyes on him. She looked down at her mirror-encrusted bangles, spinning them a few times so her flush had subsided when he looked up at him again.

"You look lovely," he commented rather timidly, and she flushed again, looking at him through her lashes.

"Thank you very much. And may I say, you look fantastic and very handsome."

He smiled bashfully. "Why, thank you. So, who did you come with?"

"Me, myself and I," she replied dismissively.

"Then you won't mind if I ask you to dance."

She looked at him in surprise, crossing her arms over her chest. "Oh? Why, Professor Wood, I don't think it's allowed," she replied in mock-indignation.

His eyes sparkled with mischief. "What's like without bending the rules a little bit? Besides, Professor Dumbledore will understand. I mean, you're sitting here, alone, and I'm alone, and I want to dance. And you should dance, since you went through the trouble of getting ready for a ball," he commented rather playfully, offering her his hand.

Railane smiled. "You're not very professor-y, you know? Too much like one of us," she told him, accepting the proffered hand.

They both rose and began walking towards the dance floor. "Do you think that's bad?" he asked self-consciously, and she shook her head.

"Not at all. It's very refreshing. And it makes you more relatable."

They began dancing, and he looked at her with a slight frown. "By the way you were nervous about dancing, I wouldn't have thought you'd be such a good dancer."

She steered him a bit away from Blaise and Ginny, who were spinning rather wildly, before answering. "I have a lot of time on my hands, so when I'm not writing, I dance."

He nodded understandingly. "Are you going somewhere on vacation these holidays?"

Her eyes darkened. "I was going to, but my mother canceled on me, so I'll be staying here."

"At least I won't be completely bored here," he commented. "And we could work on your writing."

The shadow in her eyes dissipated and she smiled. "I'd like that."

He was about to say something else when Draco and Liana appeared at his elbow. Draco motioned for them to switch partner, and he and Railane exchanged glances before he courteously accepted Liana and handed Railane over to Draco. As Draco spun her around and began dancing with her, Railane chided herself mentally for getting too involved with Oliver and concentrated on their dance. Draco was a good dancer as well, his elegance stated in the fluidity of his movements. Both Liana and Oliver watched them dance, both with different yet similar thoughts.

"They look good together," he commented, and Liana nodded.

"They're perfect for each other since they're so alike, but at the same time, that makes them clash." She sighed, frowning. "They'd be good together, but they might end up killing each other in a week. No way to predict." He made a thoughtful noise, not taking his eyes off them, and Liana's frown deepened. "I don't mean to pry, but you and Railane looked rather… cozy. Which is probably why Draco wanted us to switch. Is there anything I should know about? Since she's my best friend and all."

He looked at her briefly before looking back at Railane. "She seems to really like him, so I don't think there's anything to say. Besides, isn't she dating Blaise Zabini?"

"Sort of, but I don't think that will last long. They're just too close as friends." She paused, looking at him embarrassedly. "I apologize if I'd made you uncomfortable, Professor. But she's my best friend, and I really needed to know. I hope you don't think I've overstepped myself."

"Not at all. It's understandable that you wished to know." His voice was rather low, and Liana sighed. Things were already getting very complicated in here. She shot Harry, who had followed Mrs. Weasley's advice and looked quite handsome in emerald green robes as he chatted with yellow-robed Cho, a very dark look. Ron walked past her, smiling, and she smiled back before resuming glaring in Harry's direction.

* * *

Draco had been dancing with her quietly for a long time, and whenever she'd try to switch with Liana and Oliver again, he'd pulled her closer and refused. Finally, after Liana and Oliver had both sat down, she sighed in exasperation and spoke. "Dray, are you planning on letting me go anytime soon?"

"I don't know. Are you planning on going back to dancing with your dear Professor Wood?" he countered.

"I don't know, Draco," she replied irritably. "I was simply dancing with him because he saw me sitting on my own and asked me to dance. He was only being a gentleman so I wouldn't feel bad."

He raised an eyebrow. "I don't think that's it. You looked pretty cuddly," he commented dryly.

"Oh, for God's sake! It was just a dance! It's not like I'm jumping all over you for dancing with Liana." That fact seemed to be bothering more than anything else, and he continued sulking, so she rolled her eyes and began moving towards Blaise and Ginny. "I'm going to go dance with my boyfriend. Now, dance a bit with Ginny, then set her loose and go dance with your date." He was going to protest but a glare from her silenced him. "Just go." They moved towards Blaise and he immediately moved to twirl Railane to the side. Draco began dancing with turquoise-robed Ginny, his eyes on Railane and Blaise.

"He's staring," Blaise informed her, and she groaned.

"He's being ridiculous about my dancing with Oliver."

"You two did look cute. I could've sworn he was going to kiss you or something."

"Are you mad? He's our teacher. And besides, you know how I feel about Draco."

Blaise set his blue eyes on her dark ones as if he could determine what she truly felt by looking into them, and sighed. "I do. But I can't help but feel that you're feeling something towards our dear Mister Wood."

"I'm not going to deny that I'm attracted to him, but he's a teacher. It's totally impossible. Plus he's gorgeous and famous and so not interested in me. We're just good friends, is all. Now stop getting ideas, Zabini."

"Whatever you say. I just think that maybe this boyfriend and girlfriend thing should be over soon. Draco seems to be close to marking you as his and I don't want to get in his way."

"We'll be over after the holidays, then? Sufficient time to make it a plausible relationship."

He smiled. "You're so thoughtful, I could kiss you right now."

"You should. It'd shock everyone out of their wits," she told him jokingly, and he grinned.

"I would, love, but I'd rather you have your first kiss with someone who's straight and completely into you." Her expression darkened a bit, and he hastily continued his explanation. "I mean, you know I think you're very pretty and I love you and like you, but I just don't think I should be that guy. You and I just don't have a future as a couple."

"I know what you meant, Blaise. I only looked a bit peeved because I'm sixteen and never been kissed. It's sad."

"That was so teenager-y of you, Miss Philosophic. So out of character."

"My roommates are lowering my IQ." They both laughed and she tilted her head towards the refreshments table. "Want to get a drink?"

"Heavens, yes. I've been dancing since the beginning of the night and I'm virtually dehydrated." They laughed again and headed towards the table, chatting amicably.

* * *

When Railane started feeling drowsy and began saying her goodbyes, Draco insisted on accompanying her to her dorm. They began walking over there, followed by Blaise and were nearing the dungeons when Blaise noticed a mournful Seamus in hunter green robes, leaning against a wall. Draco and Railane exchanged glances and motioned for him to go for it. He approached him quietly, and spoke softly when he was near. "Are you alright?"

Seamus turned to him in surprise, eyeing him warily. "Not very much, but why would you care?" he drawled in his Irish accent.

"You just looked like you needed someone to talk to."

"You're avoiding my question," he said with a slight grin, facing him completely. "So, do you really want to hear what's going on?"

"Yes," he replied decidedly, looking at Seamus evenly.

The shorter boy began walking, motioning for Blaise to follow. "I had a fight with my friend Dean," he began in a quiet voice. "I told him my secret, and he flipped out."

"That's horrible," Blaise murmured sympathetically. "I have a secret myself, but thankfully the few friends that I told were absolutely understanding."

"I'll tell you my secret if you tell me yours," he offered suddenly.

Blaise moved a bit to his left, putting distance between them before speaking. "Well, my secret is that I'm… gay. Damn, it feels liberating to tell you that."

He blinked at him a few times before speaking. "That's me secret as well," he told Blaise softly. "Who did you tell?"

"Draco, Liana and Railane."

Seamus frowned at the mention of Draco, and when he spoke of Railane his eyes widened. "Aren't you dating Railane?"

"She's been my cover-up," Blaise admitted.

"That's not very nice of you," he chided.

"I know, and we're ending it soon. I like someone and she likes someone, and we're tying each other down for nothing."

"Today has been wild. I told Dean when I'd promised to keep it a secret, and now here I am, talking to you, a Slytherin, and I just told you my secret. The whole world's going straight to hell, it is."

"Probably," Blaise confirmed quietly. "So why did you decide to tell Dean tonight?"

He scratched his head thoughtfully. "I think he was getting suspicious since I've sort of looking at someone, liking them, you know? So I thought it'd be good for me to tell him before he actually figured it out, and turns out he wasn't very happy with my honesty."

"Shame. So, who do you like?"

Seamus raised an eyebrow. "We became sort of friends five minutes ago. You really expect me to tell you?"

"Hey, I'm your partner in the closeting, eh? I guess you could call me a kindred soul."

He sighed. "If you must know, it's a Slytherin."

Blaise frowned. "Draco?"

"Pale and deathly isn't really my type."

"Huh." Without realizing it, they'd already reached the Gryffindor Tower, and Blaise smiled, deciding not to press the matter further. "Well, here you are, safe and sound. I'll see you later, Seamus."

He turned to walk away, and Seamus eyes followed him. "You too, Blaise."

* * *

Railane and Draco had finally reached the dorm, both smirking at the fact that Blaise had gone off with Seamus. She was about to say goodbye when Draco spoke quietly. "I've been thinking… I'd rather you not stay in the dorm during the holidays. Some of those girls are very nasty, and I think it might be a good idea for you to stay in my room."

She was touched by the gallant gesture, but shook her head. "I don't know."

"Go get your trunk, Miss Lesperance," he ordered. "You're staying in my room since tonight."

"Oh, really? And where am I going to sleep?"

"I'll manage. Stop your protesting and get your things." She was going to say something else, but sighed in acceptance. The prospect of getting to stay away from all the other girls was simply too tempting.

"I'll see you in a bit, then." He smirked at her, glad to have won their small argument, and motioned for her to hurry. She ran up the stairs and entered her dorm to find Pansy waiting for her. She walked past her, muttering incantations to pack the few things she'd unpacked, as Pansy began to speak.

"I don't know who you and your little Gryffindor friend think you are, but you should know that Draco is mine, so stay away from him."

"That's for him to choose, Pansy," Railane replied dismissively, her trunk trailing behind her as she moved towards the door, carrying her books.

"Where are you going?" Pansy asked her, and Railane rolled her eyes. "I'm not finished!"

"None of your business. Now I must go; Draco awaits."

Before Pansy could speak again, Railane walked out with a wide smile and slammed the door shut on Pansy's face.

* * *

Harry was already in the room by the time they got there, and gallantly helped Railane by carrying her books. She was about to enter the room when she felt like someone was watching her, and she looked over her shoulder and into the empty hallway. Draco frowned, following her gaze, but neither of them saw anything. He placed a hand on her arm, motioning for her to enter the room, and Railane followed, still anxious.

When the door to the room had closed, a cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows, looking at the hallway before walking away to Snape's office. His Master wouldn't be pleased when he found out that the Lesperance girl had been sheltered by Draco in his secure room. Damn his son's instinct. Throwing some Floo powder on the fireplace, he enunciated clearly: 'Malfoy Manor!' and disappeared in a green haze.

A/N: Share your thoughts, loves. They'll inspire me for the next chapter. Hee.


	11. An early holiday surprise

A/N: I tried to get this here as fast as I could, but it took some time due to the enormous amount of reviewing I did for the College Board (which was so worth it: 3674 out of 4000) and all the schoolwork I later had to catch up with. Plus studying for midterms. Ech. So I'll let you get back to the chapter, but not before giving CompleteGeek a shout-out, since I had no response to the last chapter and I miss my fan, hee.

**_Bold italics_** are Railane's intros, _italics_ are thoughts, and anything in **bold** is a diary entry.

Chapter ten: An early holiday surprise

_**The day after the Christmas Ball, almost all the students left, and I was left to hibernate in Draco's room. Bored out of my mind, I began writing snippets and experimenting with a camera that Colin Creevey lent me. Oliver was virtually my only company, and even we were running out of things to talk about. Just when a friend from home sent me a shipment of books, I had a rather unexpected visit that sent all my boredom right out of the window. I really need to watch what I wish for. It wasn't all bad, since it brought a lovely discovery, but the reasons behind it were much darker. **_

Railane sat by the lake quietly, letting her fingers glide over the surface of the rippling water as a few Hufflepuff second years played with the giant squid. The squid extended a tentacle to poke Railane's hand, making her smile. She tilted her head, smiling at the surprised Hufflepuffs before shaking the water off her hand and rising, bag slung over her shoulder. She began walking towards the castle, still in silence when she ran into Oliver.

"Hello," she greeted warmly.

He fell into step with her. "Hi. Written anything new lately?"

"You mean since yesterday, when you last asked me that?"

He grinned. "Kind of, yeah."

She laughed, rolling her eyes. "I've written a few lines, but nothing impressive. Although I think I'm getting over this nasty writer's block I've had. How about you?"

"All I've written is this letter to my mother," he told her, pointing to a parchment that was sticking out of his pocket.

She chuckled quietly. "You going up to the Owlery, then?"

"Yeah. Care to join me?"

"Sure… I've nothing else to do, anyway."

They turned into a shortcut for the Owlery in companionable silence, and when they entered Railane gasped. Her old friend's owl was sitting atop a large parcel of what looked like books. She ran to the parcel, peeling off the note. Oliver moved on to send his letter as her eyes rapidly scanned the parchment. When he returned, she'd already finished reading. "Gotten gifts, I see," he commented with a grin.

She grinned back. "I told a friend from home that I was bored out of my mind, and she's sent me a load of books for Christmas. Seems I may have something to do after all."

"What has she sent you?" Oliver asked curiously.

Railane shifted through the books. "Le Rouge et le Noir, by Stendhal; A Midsummer Night's Dream, by Shakespeare; Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brönte; The Year the Horses Came, by Mary Mackey; A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle; The Diary of Anaïs Nin; and a ton of romance novels. She's also sent me some books on the writing process, the angel."

He picked up a bit over half of the books, turning towards Draco's room. "Come on, then, so you can get started on your reading." She smiled brightly, picking up the remaining books and following him cheerfully. After they'd gotten to the room and dropped the books on Draco's desk, they sat on the bed. She began reading from Le Rouge et le Noir to him, and he stopped her when she reached the fourth chapter. "You have good French pronunciation," he commented.

"I've a passion for languages," she confessed quietly, closing the book lovingly. "Words are like my life's fire; they're my purpose."

He smiled softly. "And that is why you're such a good writer. Now, read me a bit more, and let's see if you get your inspiration back." She grinned, opening the book again and complying.

* * *

Draco dragged himself to the nearest fireplace, wand in hand, directing his floating trunk. Dropping Floo powder in the flames, he stepped in them, pulled his trunk in with him and shouted "Hogwarts, Snape's office." A whirlwind of green flames later, he found himself lying on the floor in Snape's office, his trunk still inside the fireplace. He pulled his trunk out, and set it to float as he opened the door. Peering into the hallway to make sure it was empty, he began walking towards his room.

Thankfully, he didn't run into anyone on the way there, and was sighing victory until he realized Railane had been staying in his room. Pushing his trunk inside quietly, he locked the door without a sound and let his weight rest against the wall just as silently. He could see Railane had fallen asleep on his bed, books all around her, and by the looks of it someone had tucked her in. He was about to move to Harry's room for the night when she stirred and fixed her gaze on him. When her brain registered his appearance, she shot up in bed, instantly awake.

"Oh, Lord, Dray," she whispered, jumping out of bed and rushing to him. He collapsed between her arms, panting, and she helped him up and sat him on the edge of the bed. Unfastening his robe buttons, she slid it off her shoulders and gasped at the sight. His pale skin was marred with bruises, their coloring varying from bright and recent to dull and faded. Her fingers ghosted over his cheekbone, which sported a large purple and yellow bruise, and winced as she felt the broken bone beneath her fingers. "We have to take you to Madam Pomfrey."

He shook his head slowly. "It's too late right now. Besides, I've what I need to cure myself here." He pointed weakly at an oak cabinet propped against the far wall. "There's a large spell book and a small black box full of potions. If you get that for me, I'll fix myself up."

She looked at him for a few moments before walking to the cabinet and getting what he'd requested. Following the instructions on the book she alternated between smothering him with potions and chanting incantations. She'd worked on his face and chest when she suddenly frowned. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"I'm fine from the waist down," he assured her, and she rose, hiding her blush, moving around him to kneel on the bed, facing his back. She inhaled sharply at the criss-cross marks on his back. She began patting a disinfecting potion over his wounds, chanting a healing incantation on the cleaned cuts. When she was finished, she walked over to his closet, bringing back his pajamas with her and pointing to the bathroom.

"Shower and get dressed," she ordered, and was surprised when he obeyed meekly. As he showered, she cleaned up, returned the potions to the cabinet and poured him a dreamless sleep potion. When he emerged, she'd prepared the bed for him, accommodated his trunk its usual spot, and tidily arranged her books on top of his desk.

"Thank you," he told her quietly, and she waved his thanks away, leading him to the bed.

"Rest," she told him quietly.

"You're not going to ask what happened?" he asked in surprise.

She shook her head. "You don't want to talk about it just now, and I can deal with that. Tomorrow morning, however, I'm going to grill you."

He smiled wanly, snuggling into the bed, and she grinned back, blowing out the nearest candle and leaving him alone to rest in the dim light.

* * *

By the time Draco woke up, Railane had already unpacked his trunk and gone down to the kitchens to get him breakfast. When he began stirring, she opened the curtains to let the sun in. "Good morning," she greeted, her back to him as she looked out the window.

"Morning," he grumbled back, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

"Not a morning person, are we?" she commented with a smile, walking over to him.

"Not exactly, no… especially when I had to wake up alone and abandoned."

She rolled her eyes. "Eat," she ordered.

"Still not interrogating me?" he asked, looking up at her.

Railane's eyes met his, and he was surprised to find her emotions reflected like a storm, jumbled together so that he couldn't tell them apart. "I know better than to push you. When you want to talk, you will."

He'd finished eating when he finally looked up again. He found her sitting on a chair with her legs crossed, her head tilted as her eyes stared out the window. "Would now be a good time to talk?" he asked quietly.

She turned to him, startled, before nodding slowly. "Sure." She walked over to him, sitting on the bed. "So, what happened?"

Draco sighed, his gray eyes clouded. "Father wasn't happy with me," he began.

Her eyes widened as her fingertips glided lightly over his cheekbone. "Your father… it was he who did this to you?"

He nodded heavily. "He and Kendrix punished me for my refusal to join the Death Eaters, among other things."

"So you're out in the open now."

"It's a weight off my shoulders, but it's cost me dearly. I've been disowned, thrown out, and threatened."

She placed a hand over his gently. "As long as you're here in Hogwarts, you're safe. And we'll figure out what to do for the summer."

He looked at her seriously. "It's not my life he threatened me with."

"What was it, then?"

"You."

She blinked at him in confusion. "Why me?"

He leaned towards her, his eyes becoming silvery. "He used Legilimency on me, and discovered something I think even I ignored."

"Which is?"

"This," he whispered, before brushing her lips with his. He moved away from her so he could look into her eyes. "And now I'm worried he'll use you against me."

It took her a few instants to return from the shocked state she'd entered. "I'll be fine," she told him reassuringly, wondering how to react to his action.

He smiled softly. "At least we're safe in Hogwarts, right?"

She smiled back, still feeling rather self-conscious. "Exactly."

* * *

Draco was sleeping again when a knock on the door jolted him awake. Railane was at the door before he could react, opening a bit to peek out before opening it completely. "Hello, Oliver," she greeted, motioning for him to come in.

"Hello, Lane. Draco," he added, noticing him leaning against the headrest.

"Hello," Draco replied coolly.

Railane jumped in immediately before the tension escalated. "I've finally managed to get back to writing, Oliver. I've got around five pages of verses and a short story already."

"Just this morning?" he asked incredulously.

She nodded. "All very dramatic and emotional… quite my usual style, but a bit darker."

"Can't wait to read."

She grinned, opening the connecting door to Harry's room, where she'd moved all her things. "Then don't." He grinned back, entering the room, and she was about to follow him when Draco called her.

"Railane, wait."

She turned to him, her hand still resting on the doorframe. "What is it?"

He looked at her before letting his gaze focus beyond the door and into the other room, where Oliver sat on the bed, reading intently. He looked back at her before shaking his head. "Nothing, really."

The sudden iciness of his demeanor told her different, but she refrained on commenting and simply let the door ajar so he'd be able to see into the other room. He smiled self-consciously; it was incredible how she understood him without his saying a word. Shifting in bed, he arranged the covers around himself and leaned back, watching surreptitiously.

Oliver lifted his eyes to the door as Railane sat beside him, his jaw clenching perceptibly as he returned to his reading. Railane smiled apologetically. "Sorry about leaving the door open; Draco gets antsy, you know? This way we can keep an eye on each other." He nodded, not trusting himself to reply, and they began reading out loud and editing.

* * *

Kendrix let her gaze rise as she heard the deafening crash of Lucius' cane against the glass window. She lifted her hand to stop the glass shards from coming near her as Lucius swore loudly. "How could he leave! He has escaped right under our noses!"

She flicked her wrist, a look of boredom glazing over her features as the glass shards fell to the floor. "Perhaps if you'd made him a bit more obedient, we would not be having this problem."

Lucius whirled around, face seething with rage. "Don't you dare blame this on me, Kendrix! He'd been perfectly well-behaved until just now."

Her eyes narrowed. "Well, if you'd just let me kill the girl, we needn't be worried about her influence on him!"

"We've seen how he feels about her."

"All the more reason to eliminate her!"

He shook his head. "You don't know Draco. If we harm her, we will only turn him further away from us."

Kendrix scoffed. "Sentimental fool he is, then. So what do you propose we do?"

"If he really cares, he'll want her to be safe. So we tell him that he must come to us; in return, we will not touch her."

She rolled her eyes. "He won't fall for that, Lucius. Where she is, our hands cannot reach. As long as Dumbledore is near her, we can't lay a hand on her, and he knows it, which is why he left to go under his protection as well."

"Then we'll send her a little package," Lucius suggested, his smile full of malice. "You know, just to let her know we're thinking about her."

"Sounds good to me," she replied, an equally evil smile spreading on her face. "Let's send her a little Christmas gift from us and the master."

Lucius chuckled. "Let's."

A/N: So this is it for now. Will get better, and we may be seeing the master very soon. I'm starting the next chapter immediately; I'd like to get to post it before I have to begin my work towards the SAT. Oh, the horror.


End file.
